But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
Luke 13:12
The woman arrives at the synagogue. Does she arrive late and sit in the very back so she won’t be noticed? She wants to hear God’s word being taught and then leave quickly. To her amazement she learns the teacher this day is Jesus of Nazareth. Maybe she has heard of Him, maybe not, but she is about to see God’s love shown to her like she has never heard before.
But Throughout scripture God uses the word “but” – “but God”, “but
Jesus”. It is a great word because it describes a point at which the Lord enters a person’s life when they are lost or hopeless or both. Suddenly the Lord stops teaching. He is about to change the life of a woman with an infirmity.
When Jesus saw her The Lord looks out over the crowd. He sees the woman He knows the Father wants Him to meet that day. The word “see” means to see with the physical eyes but it also can mean to know or to remember.
He called her to Him Suddenly the woman is the center of attention in the synagogue. She has always tried to avoid attention but now Jesus calls her to Him and puts her front and center. Every eye in the synagogue is now on her. The Lord is totally indifferent to the culture of the day. He speaks to the outcast woman even as the ruler of the synagogue is stunned and soon becomes angry. Normally the woman would have fled in shame but there is something about Jesus – He must be obeyed and so she does.
Said to her, “Woman” The word “said” means commanded.
You are loosed from your infirmity. The Lord stuns the woman further. She hears His words but cannot believe what she is hearing. Loosed from her infirmity (her illness, her calamity)?. The word loosed means divorced – she is separated from her illness never again to be made a partner with it.
And He laid His hands on her The Lord puts his hands upon the woman. This is highly critical. Others have told the woman what to do to be free from her infirmity. Some probably told her to straighten up – just walk up upright – act normal. Like all of us, she is incapable of doing that. She cannot “straighten up” in her own strength, she is in a hopeless situation. Jesus touches her. The first time this word is used is when Jesus reaches out his hand to touch and raise the ruler’s daughter from the dead. Whether it is a leper, an 18 year infirmity or death itself, the touch of Jesus brings new life. “I AM the way, I AM the truth, I AM the life.”
Immediately Scripture is very clear. The Lord’s command to the woman is carried out in the twinkling of an eye. The Greek word means instantly or on the spot. (If we are not cured here we will be in the rapture – in a “twinkling” – immediately!)
She was made straight The woman who was bent over and could not look up now stands straight and looks directly into the eyes of her
Creator – the most loving sight she has ever seen.
Glorified God The woman learned the truth of Palm 111:3. Her Lord is “Full of splendor and majesty is his work.” If this woman was a song
writer she might have beaten Fanny Crosby to the punch. “O come to the Father through Jesus the Son and give him the glory, great things
he has done!” Great things – done for her? Jesus noticed her? – unbelievable!
What can we learn? The last words of this story should challenge us, motivate us. For eighteen years a woman glorified God by
enduring what He called her to bear. Now God releases her from her suffering. What does she do? Glorify God. The chief end of
man is to glorify God – it is the reason we exist – it’s the joy we have after God saves us – to proclaim to everyone His greatness
for the “great things He has done”. It is why we are to be thankful continually in every circumstance we face, it is why
we sing praises to Him even when we are hurting. When we read of the angels we hear them saying “glory to God in the highest“. That is our story, that is our song – praising the Savior all the day long. One
day we will do it while looking in his face just like this woman did on that Sabbath.