“The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” 17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.” Luke 13.15-17
This is what Jesus does—He unbinds us. He sets us free from our wounds, troubles, difficulties, and sin. Sometimes He releases us completely from these through healing and deliverance. (I have personally experienced this in my own life.)
Jesus is called the Great Physician for a reason. He heals not only the soul but also the body. He does what no one else can do. Think about it: in countries without ready access to medical care, people still rely on Jesus to physically heal them—and He does. They also depend on Him for emotional and spiritual healing. Jesus is the One who unbinds and unburdens us from sin and shame, bringing us freedom and release.
Here we see a woman who had been bound for eighteen long years. She suffered from an infirmity no one could heal, yet she was in the synagogue with Jesus. Crippled and bent over for nearly two decades, she came into the presence of the Lord. He saw her, had compassion on her, and did the physical and healing work of God in the house of God on the day of God. Laying His hands on her, He healed her. She stood up straight and praised God.
Yet the religious leaders were furious because they cared more for their own rigid interpretation of the Law of Moses than for the heart of the Law of God. But Jesus confronted them: “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you untie your ox or donkey from the stall on the Sabbath and lead it out to water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”
Jesus does the remarkable work of God in ordinary life. It does not matter if this woman was 28, 48, or 88—her whole life was transformed after this encounter with Jesus. Sometimes we read these stories and think, “That only happened in Bible times; it can’t happen today.” But I disagree. What happened then can and should happen now. Jesus said we will do even greater things than these. Even. Greater. Things.
What do you need from the Lord today? Is your heart broken? Is your body broken? Are you lost or feeling alone? Come to Jesus. He can and will heal you. We must believe!
“O Lord, I am now at Revive Kids Camp, and I believe God will do a great work among the kids and adults. I believe God wants to move in wonderful ways. Satan wants to keep us bound up in our pain, but Jesus brings relief by His power, His Spirit, and His blood. Come now, Lord—heal us! Unbind us! Restore us and make us whole. I love You, Lord, and I trust You with these kids. I know You will do a wonderful work in their lives, for You are good and Your love endures forever.” Amen.