INTRODUCTION:

1. This story is peculiar to Luke.
2. We have here a wonderful miracle, performed by our Lord in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath (13:10).
3. One of the great problems in life is the problem of suffering both physical pain and mental anguish.
4. People often ask why is there so much suffering in this world?
5. Suffering is part of a much larger problem sin.
6. Sin is the original source of all evil.
7. When we deal with the sin problem, we are also dealing with suffering and sorrow and death, etc.
8. Therefore, in the Bible we see that our Lord not only dealt with suffering, but with the root of it sin.
9. The Good News is that for the Christian,

        There is coming a day,
        When no heart aches shall come,
        No more clouds in the sky,
        No more tears to dim the eye,
        All is peace forever more,
        On that happy golden shore,
        What a day, glorious day that will be.

10. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away (Revelation 21:4).
11. Satan was behind her infirmity (13:11, 16). Satan had given her curvature of spine she tried to walk and stand up straight, but she could in no wise lift up herself (13:11).

 

I. THE WOMAN WITH THE INFIRMITY WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE BOUND BY SATAN (13:15, 16).

1. Our Lord healed this woman (13:12, 13). But rather than be glad, the ruler of the synagogue was indignant (13:14).
2. What our Lord did on the Sabbath frequently brought Him into serious conflict with the Pharisees and other religious leaders.
3. Our Lord responded to the ruler s criticism by calling him a hypocrite (13:15).
4. The woman with the spirit of infirmity was not the only one bound by Satan the ruler of the synagogue was also bound by Satan.
5. However, his infirmity was in the spiritual realm. He hypocritically pretended to instruct the people in the synagogue when in reality he was criticizing our Lord (13:14).
6. The ruler of the synagogue was bound and blinded by religious tradition.
7. If tradition lines up with the Bible, then that is okay. But if tradition does not line up with the Bible, or if the tradition contradicts the Bible, then that is bad (cf. Mark 7:6-13).
8. This is the problem with the Roman Catholic religion. Their unscriptural traditions contradict the Bible.

 

II. OUR LORD DELIBERATELY HEALED ON THE SABBATH DAY IN ORDER TO TERACH PEOPLE ABOUT GRACE

1. God designed the Sabbath day as a day of rest and blessing. But through petty rules and unscriptural traditions, the Pharisees had turned it into a day of burden and hardship.
2. Our Lord dealt with the Sabbath issue head-on, and the Pharisees hated Him for it (cf. Luke 6:1-11; John 5:16-18).
3. Our Lord declared that:

• The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
• He Himself was the Lord of the Sabbath (cf. Mark 2:27, 28).

4. By making these declarations, our Lord was affirming His deity, because God established the Sabbath way back in Genesis 2:3.
5. Remember the Sabbath day (Exodus 20:8).
6. The Sabbath principle one day out of seven belongs to God. Today, the Lord s Day belongs to God.
7. If animals may be cared for on the Sabbath, how much more may a daughter of Abraham be set free from Satan s bondage on the Sabbath (13:16)!
8. Our Lord was arguing from the lesser to the greater. Animals are God s creatures, but man was made in the image and likeness of God.
9. God gave man the Sabbath for man s benefit, and for man s blessing, not for his bondage.
10. The Sabbath (and the Lord s Day) is a day for rest and for worship. Despite her severe infirmity, this woman was in her place of worship on the Sabbath.
11. Think of the great blessing she would have missed that day had she been absent!
12. If anyone had a good excuse to miss the service, she did. She was bowed together (13:11); bent over and unable to lift herself up.
13. But she managed to get to the synagogue!

 

III. ONLY THE GOSPEL CAN MAKE CROOKED PEOPLE STRAIGHT

1. Immediately she was made straight (13:13).
2. I was once a crooked sinner, but thank God He straightened me out!
3. God looks down from heaven and sees a world full of crooked sinners bowed down with sin and shame.
4. They can in no wise lift themselves up!
5. There are many hurting people in this world bowed down with the burden of sin and sorrow. But thank God, burdens are lifted at Calvary. Jesus is very near
6. Jesus laid His hands on her (13:13). People need a touch from the Lord.
7. We need to point people to Jesus. Only He can help them.
8. Only He can straighten them out.
9. Only He can heal them.
10. Only He can forgive their sins.
11. Only He can save them!
12. Satan puts people in bondage (13:16). But Jesus delivers people from bondage.
13. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed (John 8:36).
14. Many years ago, a pastor friend of mine was debating a homosexual. This was back in the days when they were first coming out of the closet. The homosexual kept referring to heterosexuals as straight people.
15. My friend said, Well, if we are straight, then you must be crooked!
16. God can straighten out a crooked homosexual or a crooked adulterer or a crooked thief or a crooked drunkard, etc. (cf. I Cor. 6:9-11).

 

CONCLUSION:

1. We see in the four Gospels a great division (cf. Luke 12:51).
2. Our Lord said, Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34).
3. Our Lord said, He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad (Matthew 12:30).
4. Cf. John 7:43; 9:16; 10:19.
5. And we see this again here in the synagogue in Luke 13:17

• All His adversaries were ashamed.
• And all the people rejoiced

6. Let us make sure we are on the side that is rejoicing!