A Sabbath Like No Other ~ Christine Malkemes

Read Luke 13:10-17 – A Woman With a Disabling Spirit

Dear Sister,

Our Sabbath Days run like clockwork. We go to church, serve on the worship team, ushering, or smile in the Welcome Center. We sing and listen to the sermon, give our tithes, and if there’s an altar call, we move forward. Then we come home.

But when Jesus entered the Temple, He healed a disabled woman on the Sabbath.

The crippling spirit had tormented her for eighteen years, and she was bent over from it. Finally, she could only look down. But she went to the temple. Was she looking for a miracle or the comfort of prayer-filled people? If she was looking for Jesus, then she couldn’t even look up to Him.

But Jesus saw her.

He called her forward and set her free. When she stood straight up, she looked into the eyes of her Savior; what joy and gratefulness must have flooded her soul. I can only imagine.

She praised God!

Although the crippling spirit had disabled her, she knew the only way to be healed what the Lord. 

The people were overjoyed, but the synagogue leader was indignant. “How dare Jesus to heal on the Sabbath.” There are six days in the week for such things.

But Jesus would not be silenced. He set the daughter of Abraham free from Satan’s grasp and called her opponents hypocrites.

The synagogue leader was humiliated, but God was glorified. Mercy was more than the law and deliverance greater than tradition. 

Christ values the person over rules and regulations. He defends and values the common man or woman. The political and economic constraints are of little value. 

The soul is greater than the system.

Praise the Lord and delight in His hand of mercy. The haters will hate. The doubters will doubt. But you will delight in the Lord your God – the God who heals.

And He said, “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” 33:14 

You see, for this woman – a daughter of Abraham – the Sabbath day for her is never the same. She would remember Jesus and remember in celebration. God’s presence is with her. He didn’t just give her a day of rest but a lifetime of entering into His rest.

Conclusion

Jesus is still in the healing business. Don’t let worries or troubles cripple you and cause you to look down. The crippling spirit is of the evil one and wants to keep our eyes on the truth. 

I don’t know where you are today. Are you crippled by fear, handicapped by anxiety, or paralyzed by the unknown? Take it to the Lord. He sees you. With merely a touch of His hand, you can stand up and look at the face of Him, who is looking at you. 

“Falling in love with God is the most important thing a person can do.” John Eldridge.