Has This Short Story Always Been in the Bible?
Hello my hope-full friend!
A few weeks ago I stumbled across a super short story in the New Testament that I swear I’ve never read before. Now I’ve read the New Testament many times in my life, so I knew I’d read it—but I hadn’t actually processed how profound one woman's short interaction of Jesus was.
This time around it jumped out at me. I read it with new eyes wondering where this three-verse story has been my whole life.
It is found in Luke 13:11-13. Here is what it says,
"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.”
Can you imagine being bowed over with some extreme form of osteoporosis or something like that and suffering for eighteen long years bent and bowing at the waist.
I’m sure it was hard. I’m sure it was painful.
How did she function, cook, sleep, interact with her friends and neighbors?
Perhaps she had lost hope because she could, “in no wise lift herself up.”
Have you ever felt like that? Like the cares of the world lay heavy upon your shoulders?
Perhaps you, like this dear woman have carried burdens for years—maybe even decades. Maybe your burdens have also felt so heavy that you could “in now wise lift [your]self up.”
Now picture the Savior—seeing her, and you, bowed down with affliction—straining to get through another moment with the heaviness of life bowing and almost breaking your soul.
Now picture Jesus uttering these powerful words, “Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.”
Can you imagine the joy? The utter relief? The sheer jubilance to realize that what you bore for eighteen years was suddenly gone. Healed. Released.
What would you do?
Dance? Jump? Bow the knee? Weep?
Resources For When You’re Feeling Burdened
Have you ever wondered where God is when you are weeping? In this podcast I share a Bible story along with several person examples of how I discovered the answer to this question. Where is God When I'm Weeping?
In this podcast I share the story of my son getting stuck on a huge boulder and share some amazing life lessons and parallels we can draw from it about leaning on God and trusting Him to help us get unstuck and solve the problems of the burdens we are bearing. Stuck in Life? Try This!
Here I share a story and journal entry about how I felt shortly after my son was diagnosed with autism, and what one thing got me through. How I Endured Feeling Overwhelmed in One Easy Lesson.
My dear friends, it is my testimony that Jesus does indeed see us as we lay heavily burdened no matter who we are or where we are. And, not only does He see us, but He desires to help and heal us.
Now, I am not naive enough to promise that He will heal every physical ailment right now, but I do know He can and will heal every burden if not in this life, then in the eternities. I also know as I have prayed and pondered that He will help us heal every spiritual infirmity we may be carrying now—as we turn to Him and give every burden to Him.
Hope on!
Tamara