Based on Luke 13:10-17 (New King James Version)
“Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 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. But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, ‘There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.’ The Lord then answered him and said, ‘Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?’ And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.”
There is much to see in this passage—and profound truths at that—so we will try to cover what we can. For instance, we see the Lord, the woman who had been ill for eighteen years, the religious leaders, and the people. We might first consider the case of this poor woman who had suffered from illness for eighteen years—an affliction caused by Satan having bound her for that entire time. One might ask: do all illnesses stem from a spiritual issue or some sin, or is there another cause? We must understand that all sickness is a consequence of human sin, dating back to Creation. When Adam and Eve sinned, that single act corrupted everything in this world. That is why the Lord Himself gave them a clear warning not to eat from the forbidden tree, lest they die. God was very explicit—which helps us understand that His entire counsel is for our own good, whereas any other line of thought is merely a deception from Satan. When Adam and Eve sinned, everything in this world was ruined, and that evil was somehow passed down to all their descendants. That is why they eventually died, and why we too will die—because we inherited sin. And sickness is part of the process of dying; we will all die of something one day.
Now, did this woman sin directly—that is, of her own free will—and fall ill because of it? Or did she somehow directly engage with the enemy, causing her illness? Was she possessed, and was that the reason for her sickness? The first thing to note here is that the Lord stated she was bound by the enemy; He did not speak of possession, which is a different matter. In other words, the enemy can exert significant influence over a person's body, even binding us with physical or mental afflictions. So, can the enemy do this to someone who has surrendered their life to the Lord? The answer is yes—unfortunately—but only if God permits it. When a person is empty—without God in their life—they are completely exposed to everything, lacking any form of protection. However, God may allow certain afflictions from the enemy when there is a purpose involved—whether for discipline, punishment, testing, or because there is a deeper lesson the person needs to learn. We see the example of Job: God gave the enemy permission to afflict his body. The reason was to test Job, to teach him, and to enable him to advance to a higher spiritual level. In Paul’s life, God allowed him to suffer a "thorn in the flesh"—understood to be a physical affliction—to keep him from becoming conceited due to the revelations he had received from God. Thus, this illness served as a check on his tendency toward pride. As he himself put it: “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.” 2 Corinthians 12:7. Remember that one of the main problems Paul faced was the pride he harbored as a religious man before he met the Lord. Thus, it is possible that God allowed this woman’s affliction because of a personal matter He was dealing with regarding her, or simply to demonstrate His miraculous power in her life—leaving no room for doubt about the miracle, given that the condition had persisted not merely for days or months, but for many years.
Another point worth considering is the cause of illnesses. As has been explained, all sickness stems from sin—whether it arises from environmental sin (so to speak), for which the individual is not directly to blame; or because the Lord grants permission to the enemy; or because of our own direct fault. It is most logical to examine instances where we bring problems upon ourselves—not through any spiritual intervention, but simply as a result of our own sin. Often, God need not actively permit an event or exert effort to punish or discipline (though the Lord does speak of both regarding His people), nor does the enemy necessarily intervene directly; rather, He simply allows us to suffer the natural consequences of our wrongdoing. A thief will, sooner or later, fall into the hands of human justice. A person who suffers from gluttony—consuming excessive amounts of things they should not—will likewise bring consequences upon themselves. Someone who falls prey to vices such as alcohol or drug abuse (whether legal or illegal substances) will also face the natural consequences that accompany such habits. Furthermore, there is something many do not consider harmful: anxiety, worry, or what is more commonly known today as stress. The Lord said this: “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” Matthew 7:31-32. And it is also written: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7. The problem is that anxiety, worry, or stress is often caused by fear, and fear is the product of a lack of faith, and the Word says: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him…” Hebrews 11:6a. Do what you have to do, because laziness and irresponsibility are also sins before God, but always trust in the Lord and never let yourself be mastered by anything, for it is also written: “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” 1 Corinthians 6:12. In short, when you allow yourself to be dominated by something—to the point where it begins to cause you physical or mental harm—you are letting yourself be ruled by something other than God, and that brings consequences. When we belong to Christ, we become a temple of the Lord; as such, He must rule our lives for our own good, and nothing else.
What, then, can we see here? It is written: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31. Loving God and our neighbor surpasses all other commandments in God’s scale of values. This woman, who had suffered for eighteen years, was more important than refraining from activity for a few moments on the Sabbath. And if God weighs it this way, what can we say? So, do you seek to do the true will of God? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!