“On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues,  and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.” Luke 13:10-13

I don’t know if you have ever suffered from a chronic illness. I hope you haven’t! I have, and I can tell you that when my disease is active, I will search high and low for anything that will provide me with a little relief. Before I had the necessary surgery and got on an appropriate treatment course, I was really sick for about a year and a half. During that time, I  tried just about every over-the-counter option to ease my suffering and, of course, none of it worked. 

Fortunately, my illness has been in remission for about ten years now. I can’t imagine suffering for eighteen years like the woman in this passage. She was forced to go through life in pain, bent over, unable to stand up straight and interact with people for all those years. In those days, being visibly disfigured like that would have heaped shame and disgrace on top of the pain she had to bear. 

And yet, Jesus saw her and called her to Him. 

The same is true for us, no matter what we are dealing with- be it a physical illness or spiritual weakness. Jesus sees us in our suffering and calls us to come close to him. Our physical healing may not be instantaneous like the woman in this passage, but our spiritual healing can be. He wants to set us free from the problems that trouble our hearts. We must allow Him to see us, respond to His call, and praise Him for the healing.

Reflection Questions:

Have you ever felt unseen by God? When have you felt that way?

Can our spiritual weaknesses//wounds keep us bound as much as physical ones? How?

#SeenandKnown