It All Happened in “Church” One Day – Part One
And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And He laid His hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
He didn’t say that she was possessed of Satan but “bound by Satan”. When He laid His hands on her and delivered her He didn’t cast any demons out. He said, “thou are loosed from thine infirmity”.
Infirmity; feebleness, weakness (of mind or body) Infirmity also speaks of the moral frailty of man. We humans are subject to physical weakness, sickness, disease, and moral frailty. The scripture states that she had a “spirit of infirmity” for 18 years. I propose that this woman’s condition was both a physical impairment and a spiritual impairment. Perhaps it was a condition of her mind that affected her physically? Or; do we know that a spiritual impairment can affect us physically?
Let’s ask ourselves a few questions. How did she get this way? Was it all at once… or gradual? Was it a particular traumatic event? Or was it the day to day “pile up” of many small things? We don’t know.
We do know that she was bowed down. In her condition; she could not work to her potential. She could not walk to her potential. She could not live to her potential… she had a spirit of infirmity. She could not straighten herself up.
But here comes the good news! The unnamed woman with a spirit of infirmity went to the same “church” that Jesus went to. How ever her condition had affected her life… whatever discomfort or pain came with it …. Whatever depression or dysfunction it produced… none of these things eliminated her hope! She still came to worship. She still attended “church”. She still heard and believed the scriptures! She was faithful to “church”. The record tells us that one day… when she went to “church”; she went to worship God… Jesus was in the house.
Let us consider this. She had learned to worship even in her affliction. She had remained faithful to worship through 18 years of agony and suffering. 18 years! If she went to worship once per week that is 936 worship services! On this particular Sabbath… it was “just another service”. Through it all she had maintained a hope as she looked up to God. She hoped for help from God. She waited for an opportunity to receive from God. She had been in “bad shape” for a long time; yet she had faith.
When Jesus looked over the crowd who had come to worship; He sees all the needs in the house. The record states, “ when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him”. Oh, don’t we believe that when we gather for a worship service (let’s have church) Jesus is in the house. He still looks over the crowd and sees all our needs. It doesn’t matter how long…
To be continued … but right now allow me to encourage somebody! It all happened in church one day! Don’t give up. Have faith. Continue to worship. Continue to show up.
D L Rogers