Cure of a crippled woman on the Sabbath

JESUS was teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. When Jesus saw her, He called to her and said, “Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.” He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath, said to the crowd in reply, “There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day.” The Lord said to him in reply, “Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead it out for watering? This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?” When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by Him.

REFLECTION SHE AT ONCE STOOD UP STRAIGHT AND GLORIFIED GOD The cure of the woman with a spirit that has crippled her for 18 years is described as an immediate restoration. The Greek verb used to describe the effect of healing is anortho, which in the Greek Septuagint refers to the future restorative action of God. In Acts 15:16, anortho is used to refer to the end-time restoration of David’s family. As used by Luke here, it describes the end-time restoration of Israel already begun with the Christian Pentecost. In Luke, persons who are healed are said to praise God, indeed an adequate response to God’s marvelous works for us. “Praising God” has become like a refrain in Luke’s gospel and in the Acts of the Apostles. The crippled woman’s dignity is restored by Jesus’ words and laying on of hands: from being bent over and incapable of standing erect to being able to stand up straight. The response of praise by the woman healed from her infirmity serves as a model for us. In many ways in our daily life, we experience God’s healing power. Above all, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross has ransomed us from our sinfulness.

Gratitude is the prayer of the heart.