And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day.
“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? 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?”
(Luke 13:13-16)
When Jesus healed this woman, the religious people got angry. Isn’t it amazing how religious people never change? They still get angry when people are healed today. Often people are angry when someone else is healed and they’re not.
This story proves something else to me. The Bible says over and over again that the majority of Jesus’ healings took place on the Sabbath, the Jews’ sacred day. To me, this proves that healing is a sacred thing to God.
However, the ruler of the synagogue didn’t think healing was sacred at all. Jesus rebuked him, saying, “You’d water your animals on the Sabbath, but you wouldn’t let this little woman get healed!”
Also, notice what this woman did as soon as Jesus healed her: “Immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.” Some people say, “Well, God is getting glory through my sickness.” But the Bible says that God got the glory when the sick woman was healed.
She wasn’t glorifying God much while she was sick. But as soon as she was healed, she glorified God with all her heart! If you’d been bowed over for 18 years and suddenly stood up straight – healed and whole, delivered from the devil’s bondage – you’d glorify God too!
My Father has set me free from the kingdom of darkness.
I am loosed from all bondage, and I give all the glory to God!
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
For over 40 years, Pastors Mark and Janet Brazee have traveled throughout the world sharing the Word of God and the Spirit of God. Together they've shared the powerful truths of faith and healing in more than 50 nations.
Today Mark and Janet pastor World Outreach Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they base their ongoing outreach to the world. The Brazees still travel as the Lord leads, and they are raising up a congregation who share their passion to reach Tulsa and the world.