Jesus healed a woman with a disability (Luke 13:10-17)

He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God. But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, “There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?” As He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him. (Luke 13:10-17)

While teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath, Jesus became aware of one of the audience members who was profoundly incapacitated. Unable to sit or stand erect/upright, she was painfully bowed over and probably could not meet His eye. 

We’re told she’d been like this for 18 years, and that her condition was caused by an evil spirit. According to Jesus, she’d been “bound by Satan.” We don’t know exactly what that means, whether the spirit still plagued her, or if it had left her in this condition as a lingering consequence of some unrevealed or unrepented sin. We don’t know if she was still engaged in practicing sin, or if she was now trying to follow God. We don’t know if she knew Jesus was going to be there that day, or if she had any hopes of being healed by Him.

Of course, Jesus knew all, and He interrupted Himself in the middle of His message in order to heal her. Without asking if that’s what she wanted, He said, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.”

It’s not unusual that Jesus took notice of her and interrupted Himself. Here are some other passages in the gospels in which it says Jesus saw people and had compassion on them: Matthew 14:14, 9:36; Mark 6:34, 10:14, 10:21; Lk 7:13-14, 17:14, 19:5, 19:41, 21:2; John 5:5-9, 9:1-7, 11:33-35, 11:43.  

Also, two of His parables have to do with godly people seeing someone in trouble and helping them: The Good Samaritan (Lk 10:33-35) and The Prodigal Son (Lk 15:20).

It’s also not unusual in the Old Testament. Being seen by God caused Hagar to express amazement: “You are the God who sees me” (Genesis 16:7-13). The formerly bent over woman had a similar reaction. She began glorifying God. It probably was not a quiet, inward reflection but more of a whoop and a holler… which is what should have been happening in the synagogue that day in the presence of the God-Man.

But the synagogue official got angry. 

When you think about it, it is really shocking that he felt obligated to rebuke the person who’d just performed a tremendous miracle. And here was a woman who’d lived a good portion of her life in crippling bondage, unable to enjoy life fully. Now her body was restored and strengthened. She was no longer dependent on others, but could serve God alongside the other believers more easily. Wasn’t that a good thing? Why wasn't he rejoicing?

Mindful of people, in tune with God

The official could only see a supposed Sabbath infraction. He thought it wasn’t the right time or place for a miracle, but actually it was the wrong time and place for petty human anger (James 1:19-20). 

He was not seeing clearly, not as God sees. He did not see that God values a woman as more highly than oxen or donkeys that would be released from their stalls to graze on the Sabbath. Could not a woman made in God’s image be unbound on the Sabbath?

Jesus not only saw before Him a valuable creation of God, but also a daughter of Abraham to whom very great promises of blessing belonged. She was not rightfully Satan’s slave. Jesus wanted her and took her back.

This demonstration of God’s love and power delighted the congregation. They began rejoicing along with the woman who’d been healed. Perhaps like David, they were amazed that God is still mindful of them (Psalm 8:3-4). Here is proof that God sees them, and that Jesus was uniquely in tune with God. 

We don’t know how the people responded to each other in the future, but we hope they were more aware of people with needs, and helpful to them. It’s important to move from awe and gratitude to more Christlike attitudes toward people who are disabled, and then on to action on their behalf. 

Jesus was always aware of His purpose, and not distracted by petty demands. He was attuned to people’s needs, thoughts, and feelings. He knew who was being oppressed and who was doing the oppressing. In healing the woman and correcting the official, He was doing the Father’s will. 

You and I are not all-knowing or all-powerful. We cannot be everywhere all at once. What can we do for people like this woman without feeling overwhelmed?

Here are several truths we can take-away from this passage:

• People with chronic conditions and disabilities live among us.
• God notices everyone… the people with chronic conditions and disabilities, and those who are relatively healthy and able.
• Important tasks or special days can be interrupted without causing God to be displeased.
• Seeing with compassion is a skill that can be learned.
• Misplaced anger can lead to unhelpful attitudes toward others.
• Inclusion is not a dirty word. If we cannot heal people like this woman, we can perhaps make it easier for them to join the rest of the congregation in worship, fellowship, and learning.
• God’s character, as revealed in Jesus Christ, shows us how to behave toward people whose pain or infirmity cause them to be weak and helpless.

Concern for the disabled is a theme running throughout God’s word. We can learn to see better by getting more acquainted with those who have disabilities. We can pay closer attention so as to notice changes in mood or behavior that might indicate a need. To grow in compassion, we can consider how societal attitudes of suspicion, impatience, and annoyance toward people with disabilities get in the way of compassion. 

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Image credit: The Bent Woman, 1575-1607 - engraver Balthasarus Schonaeus, after a design by Hendrick Goltzius; printmaker Jan Saenredam. Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:De_krom_getrokken_vrouw,_RP-P-OB-10.559.jpg.