As Jesus was ministering one day in a particular synagogue, He noticed a certain woman who was suffering with a specific condition. The Word of God tells us that she was being oppressed by a spirit of infirmity.
In the Classic Amplified translation of this incident, we get a better understanding of what was going on in the life of this woman:
“And there was a woman there who for eighteen years had had an infirmity caused by a spirit (a demon of sickness). She was bent completely forward and utterly unable to straighten herself up or to look upward.” (Luke 13:11)
The infirmity that she was suffering was the result of a demon spirit. This infirmity did not come from God. It was the result of satanic oppression. In Acts 10:38 we read; “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”
One thing we need to clearly understand is that sickness and disease is not from God. It is satanic oppression. Satan through his lies and deceptions is the cause of the various illnesses, infirmities, disabilities, sicknesses and diseases that we experience in the earth today. It is the result of Satan attempting to lord over Gods children.
As a result of the oppression, this woman “was bent completely forward and utterly unable to straighten herself up or to look upward.”
But then one day she heard that Jesus Christ of Nazareth would be ministering in her city at her synagogue. She heard the miracles and healings that were being received and experienced through His ministry. No matter how hard, or embarrassing it would be, she was determined to get where He was, and hear what He would be saying. This day would be different. This day would be her day of freedom.
As she stood there listening to Jesus, He suddenly stopped. He looked right at her. Then she heard Him call out to her, to come to Him. I can just feel her excitement, her expectation, as she moved toward Him. Despite the pain, and limitations of her condition, she pressed forward to answer the call of Jesus. This was her day, this was her hour.
When she made it to Him, she heard Jesus make an astounding statement. He said “WOMAN, THOU ART LOOSED, FROM THINE INFIRMITY.”
Why did He say that? What did He mean? She didn’t appear to be loosed. She was in a bent over position. She was still unable to straighten herself up? What did He see?
The moment Jesus saw this woman, He didn’t see her the way she saw herself. He didn’t see her the way everybody else saw her. All they saw was the condition, the sickness, the disease, and the bondage.
Although everyone else may have thought her future was hopeless, Jesus saw her for who she really was. He saw her in her future, and believed it was time for a change!
Some people may have even thought that she had committed a terrible sin, and God must be punishing her. But Jesus didn’t focus in on any sin, He only saw her FREEDOM, He saw only a daughter of God!
When everybody else saw bondage and condemnation, Jesus saw her freedom! Unfortunately people are always seeing and speaking the deception. Jesus saw and spoke the truth!
What do you see? Do you see yourself the way God the Father sees you? Do you see yourself “..holy, unblameable, and unreproveable in His sight.” (Col 1:22) Do you see yourself saved, healed, delivered and made whole?
I am sure there were some in synagogue that day that thought, “What the heck are you doing to this poor women? Why are you lying to her, can’t you see that she is sick? They may have even thought, “This guy is being really mean. He must be a faith fanatic. What is he thinking?”
What was He thinking? He was thinking what God thinks about His children. He was thinking the truth! That was what Jesus thought, and spoke to her. He spoke the truth. He spoke the covenant!
You see this woman was free, and didn’t know it. She was a daughter of Abraham. Abraham had a covenant with God that promised her freedom from infirmity. She had a covenant with God that said that He was her Healer, her Physician! (Exodus 15:26)
The fact may be, that like this woman, you may be experiencing bondage, or a sickness, or even an apparent failure of some kind.
You may be in a hopeless situation, and it may look like everyone around you has given up on you. They may even be counseling you to give up and prepare for the worse.
But the TRUTH you need to hear today is; IT’S NOT OVER! YOU ARE FREE!
Even though this woman, who was a daughter of Abraham, was free, she didn’t know it. She was deceived. As a result she allowed, through a lack of knowledge, the enemy to keep her bound for 18 years.
It’s the same thing with you and me today. We have a blood covenant with God through Jesus Christ. This covenant has already provided healing. (1 Peter 2:24) We already have complete and total deliverance from the power of darkness. (Colossians 1:13-14) We are free!
Jesus Christ has already delivered you from the bondage of sin, sickness, poverty and spiritual death. The Word of God declares, “Whom the Son MAKES FREE IS FREE INDEED! (John 8:36)
We need to believe that JESUS MADE US FREE, and then make our stand! “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled with the yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1)
The only way you can begin to experience this freedom, is to begin believing what Jesus has said about you. That is what this precious woman did that day.
Through those spoken Words, she allowed Jesus to lay His hands on her. She didn’t argue, fuss or get offended at His faith filled declaration! She came to the synagogue that day to be healed. She came to JESUS!
As a result, Jesus just stood her up! SHE WAS FREE! What He said WAS TRUE! That demon spirit who had held her in bondage through deception, could no longer hold her down! THE TRUTH MADE HER FREE! (John 8:32)
It’s time for you to receive the truth as well. Make this day your day of freedom. Receive the Words of Jesus, answer the call, and allow Jesus to STAND YOU UP! Go ahead - Begin walking in your FREEDOM TODAY!
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