Synopsis: The healing of the woman with a spirit of infirmity of 18 years warns us to not be formal in our religion. Love is the highest law; we can only obey this law if we understand something critically important about ourselves. This healing teaches us both of these things.
More homilies on the 27th Sunday after Pentecost are HERE
Luke 13:10-17 10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11 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. 12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? 16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? 17 And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.
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Commentary on Psalm 118, verse by verse
- "Blessed are the blameless in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord" Psalm 118:1 (mp3 format)
- "Blessed are they that search out His testimonies; with their whole heart shall they seek after Him." Psalm 118:2 (mp3 format)
- "For they that work iniquity have not walked in his ways." Commentary on Psalm 118:3. The reason for EVERY problem we have. What are the "ways" of God? (mp3 format)
- "Thou hast enjoined Thy commandments, that we should keep them most diligently" Purpose of the commandments & how to stay diligent? (mp3 format)
- "Would that my ways were directed to keep Thy statutes." How to "wish" for something. (mp3 format)
- "Then shall I not be ashamed, when I look on all Thy commandments." Psalm 118:6 Shame gives way to illumination. (mp3 format)
- "I will confess Thee with uprightness of heart, when I have learned the judgments of Thy righteousness." Two kinds of confession, but only one is righteous. (mp3 format)
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It is difficult to imagine how terrible her life must have been in our time when we take a different attitude toward blood. If a woman bleeds for too long and too much, doctors do a DNC. No one would even come near her in those days. Yet she drew near to Him in faith, and as the Psalmist reminds us: the Lord never abandons those who seek Him.