On the Healing of the Woman with the Spirit of Infirmity
Year Delivered or Published: 2006
Author: Ambrose Powell
Author's Faith: Christianity
Date Submitted to Inspiration and Issues: December 7, 2006
Topic: Spirituality
Citation: Luke 13:10-17
On the Healing of the Woman with a Spirit of Infirmity (Luke 13: 10-17)
Now, He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound – think of it – for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.
This woman struggled eighteen years against the voices of pain, weakness and depression – the spirit of infirmity. Her spine was ruined, and she was permanently bent over. She could “in no way raise herself up.”
External voices came to her from physicians and neighbors: “There’s no remedy. You are disabled for life.”
Internal voices tormented her: “You have no purpose in life. Your suffering will never end.”
She could have listened to the many voices of the spirit of infirmity. She could have stayed home and withdrawn from life. But her battle was won through faith. She was able to say: “Be quiet!” It is no easy task to walk while bent over; but she resolved to come to worship. She listened to His voice calling her.
Of the many lessons from this Gospel passage, one has to include this: The fasting effort of just one of us can bring lasting joy to all of us.
For, it was the effort of the frail woman, who fasted from all other voices, external and internal voices, in order to listen to the voice of the Lord calling her. Because of her personal effort, the meaning of the Lord’s Sabbath was revealed, and there was a rejoicing of the entire multitude.
What comes into our hearing is also a competition of voices. We can literally plug speakers in our ears, and connect to thousands of messages delivered through iPods, MP3s, Walkmans, and radios. Much of the content is useful and good. But this is the time to fast. Together we are fasting in anticipation of the Nativity of the Lord.
In the time of fasting together, we look at our electronic devices and push the “Mute” button, or the “Power Off” button. When possible, if Windows asks “Are you sure you want to shut down?” we click “Yes.”
We are like landlords evicting those who disturb the peace. In our home, we make room for the still, small voice of the Lord.
In a photo taken on “Black Friday,” the big shopping day after Thanksgiving, the scene was filled with as many as 2,000 persons standing in line. It was 5 a.m., a lot earlier than Sunday 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy; but everyone arrived on time for the scheduled opening of the doors. Each came in response to the call – the call to bring money to BestBuy, Inc. in West Patterson, NJ. Some planned to give $80.00 for a digital camera; others made an offering of $1,000.00 for a High Definition Television. How much sweeter a scene it would be to see all parishioners and friends lined up at the doors of the church to accept responsibility for our church budget deficit.
The Lord teaches and says: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:15; Mark 4:9) Let us choose to hear above all the voice of the Divine teacher, who is calling each and every one of us.
He calls even those who oppose Him. Paul, a former persecutor, “…was a zealot with regard to the strictness of the law of the forefathers. He saw signs. Nevertheless, he had not yet ascended to that awesome sight which he enjoyed, nor had he heard that awesome voice. Before that he was, in all things, confused.” (Patriarch Jeremiah II letter, 1576, to the Lutherans, Augsberg and Constantinople, p. 43, Mastrontonis, Paul 1982 Holy Cross Orthodox Press)
The ruler of the synagogue opposed Christ on legal grounds, as Paul did, and was under the same confusion. Christ called him, too. He called him “Hypocrite” not as a touché, but like the angel’s strike to the side of the Apostle Peter, telling him to get up and walk with him out of prison. (Acts 12:7)
A hypocrite is a person who says one thing but does the opposite. The very meaning of the Sabbath could be found in the ruler’s everyday life.
When the farmer rests, he does not hitch the ones in his charge to the plow, but he leads them to water. The farmer shares his rest. So the Lord says to us: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14: 27) “This is the most blessed Sabbath,” we sing at Pascha, Easter, when Christ has died for us and will rise from the dead for us. Christ heals the woman on the day of rest -- because He offers to us His rest.
A masterful teacher is one who succeeds in teaching every student in the class, no matter what. He’s the teacher who calls on you, even if you are trying to be invisible in the back of the classroom. The masterful teacher addresses those in the front row, and those in the back row; he teaches those who are open minded, and those who are rebellious. Christ sees the frail woman in the back of the synagogue, even though she’s completely hidden from view, even though she is bent over, out of sight behind taller, straighter bodies. He sees her, and calls her. And He sees and teaches even the rebellious ruler next to Him.
Realize where you are, because that is where the Lord sees you and calls you.
He calls you if you stand in the front of the church, and He calls you if you sit in the back. He calls you if you are weak with infirmity, and He calls you if you are seemingly strong as a ruler.
He calls you if you are young. “Samuel, Samuel” was the voice the young boy Samuel heard, although at first the boy thought it was just the voice of his priest. (1 Samuel 3)
He calls you if you are grown but insecure: Moses said to God he was such a poor speaker, why should God call Moses? (Exodus 3, 4) Think what the world would be like if Moses had not heard Him call!
In this early part of the Nativity fast, I encourage everyone to fast from the voices that compete for the mind and soul, voices that compete for even the wallet and purse. Like the experience of the faith of the woman, our own fasting effort can bring lasting joy to a multitude.
Let us listen for His voice calling us with joy and power: Come to Me. Let us anticipate the gift of His rest. Let us have faith that He will loose our spirit of infirmity when we come to Him, for that is why He comes to us.
