11<\/strong>. a spirit of infirmity<\/em> ] Her curvature is thus directly attributed to Satanic agency. Job 2:6-7<\/span>; Act 10:38<\/span>.<\/p>\n There was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity – <\/B>Was infirm, or was weak and afflicted. This was produced by Satan, Luk 13:16<\/span>.<\/P> Eighteen years – <\/B>This affliction had continued a long time. This shows that the miracle was real; that the disease was not feigned. Though thus afflicted, yet it seems she was regular in attending the worship of God in the synagogue. There in the sanctuary, is the place where the afflicted find consolation; and there it was that the Saviour met her and restored her to health. It is in the sanctuary and on the Sabbath, also, that he commonly meets his people, and gives them the joys of his salvation.<\/P><\/p>\n Verse 11<\/span>. A woman which had a spirit of infirmity<\/B><\/I>] Relative to this subject three<\/I> things may be considered: –<\/P> <\/P> I. The woman’s infirmity.<\/P> <\/P> II. Her cure. And<\/P> <\/P> III. The conduct of the ruler of the synagogue on the occasion.<\/P> <\/P> I. The woman’s infirmity.<\/P> <\/P> 1. What was its origin<\/I>? SIN. Had this never entered into the world, there had not been either pain, distortion, or death.<\/P> <\/P> 2. Who was the agent<\/I> in it? Satan<\/I>; Lu 13:16<\/span>. God has often permitted demons to act on and in the bodies of men and women; and it is not improbable that the principal part of unaccountable and inexplicable disorders still come from the same source.<\/P> <\/P> 3. What was the nature<\/I> of this infirmity? She was bowed<\/I> together<\/I>, bent down to the earth, a situation equally painful and humiliating; the violence<\/I> of which she could not support, and the shame<\/I> of which she could not conceal.<\/P> <\/P> 4. What was the duration<\/I> of this infirmity? Eighteen years<\/I>. A long time to be under the constant and peculiar influence of the devil<\/I>.<\/P> <\/P> What was the effect<\/I> of this infirmity? The woman was so bowed together that she could in no case stand straight<\/I>, or look toward heaven.<\/P> <\/P> II. The woman’s cure.<\/P> <\/P> 1. Jesus saw her<\/I>, Lu 13:12<\/span>. Notwithstanding her infirmity was great, painful<\/I>, and shameful<\/I>, she took care to attend the synagogue. While she hoped for help from God, she saw it was her duty to wait in the appointed way, in order to receive it. Jesus saw her distress<\/I>, and the desire<\/I> she had both to worship her Maker and to get her health restored, and his eye affected his heart.<\/P> <\/P> 2. He called<\/I> her to him. Her heart and her distress spoke loudly, though her lips were silent; and, as she was thus calling for help, Jesus calls her to himself that she may receive help.<\/P> <\/P> 3. Jesus laid his hands on her<\/I>. The hand of his holiness<\/I> terrifies<\/I>, and the hand of his power expels<\/I>, the demon. Ordinances, however excellent, will be of no avail to a sinner, unless he apprehend Christ in them.<\/P> <\/P> 4. Immediately she was made straight<\/I>, Lu 13:13<\/span>. This cure was –<\/P> 1. A speedy<\/I> one – it was done in an instant<\/I>.<\/P> 2. It was a perfect<\/I> one – she was made completely<\/I> whole.<\/P> 3. It was a public<\/I> one – there were many<\/I> to attest and render it credible.<\/P> 4. It was a stable<\/I> and permanent<\/I> one – she was loosed<\/I>, for ever loosed from her infirmity.<\/P> 5. Her soul partook of the good done to her body – she glorified<\/I> God<\/I>. As she knew before that it was Satan<\/I> who had bound<\/I> her, she knew also that it was God<\/I> only that could loose<\/I> her; and now, feeling that she is loosed, she gives God that honour which is due to his name. <\/P> III. The conduct of the ruler of the synagogue on the occasion.<\/P> 1. He answered with indignation<\/I>, Lu 13:14<\/span>. It would seem as if the demon who had left the woman’s body<\/I> had got into his heart<\/I>. It is not an infrequent case to find a person filled with rage and madness, while beholding the effects of Christ’s power upon others. Perhaps, like this ruler, he pretends zeal<\/I> and concern<\/I> for the honour of religion: “These preachings, prayer meetings, convictions, conversions, c., are not carried on in his way<\/I>, and therefore they cannot be of God.” Let such take care, lest, while denying the operation of God’s hand, they be given up to demonic influence.<\/P> <\/P> 2. He endeavours to prevent others from receiving the kind help of the blessed Jesus – He said unto the people<\/I>, c., Lu 13:14<\/span>. Men of this character who have extensive influence over the poor, &c., do immense harm: they often hinder them from hearing that word which is able to save their souls. But for this also they must stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Reader, hast thou ever acted in this way?<\/P> <\/P> 3. Jesus retorts his condemnation with peculiar force Lu 13:15-16<\/span>. Thou hypocrite<\/I> to pretend zeal for God’s glory, when it is only the workings of thy malicious, unfeeling, and uncharitable heart. Wouldst thou<\/I> not even take thy ass<\/I> to water upon the Sabbath day? And wouldst thou deprive a daughter of Abraham<\/I> (one of thy own nation<\/I> and religion<\/I>) of the mercy and goodness of God upon the Sabbath? Was not the Sabbath instituted for the benefit of man?<\/P> <\/P> 4. His adversaries were ashamed<\/I>, Lu 13:17<\/span>. The mask<\/I> of their hypocrisy, the only covering<\/I> they had, is taken away; and now they are exposed to the just censure of that multitude whom they deceived, and from whom they expected continual applause.<\/P> <\/P> 5. His indignation and uncharitable censure, not only turn to his own confusion, but are made the instruments of the edification of the multitude – they rejoiced at all the glorious things which he<\/I> did<\/I>. Thus, O Lord! the wrath of man shall praise thee, and the remainder thereof thou shalt restrain.<\/P> <\/P> A preacher will know how to apply this subject to general edification.<\/P> <\/p>\n 11. spirit of infirmity<\/B>CompareLu 13:17<\/span>, “whom Satan<\/I>hath bound.” From this it is probable, though not certain, thather protracted infirmity was the effect of some milder form ofpossession;<\/I> yet she was “a daughter of Abraham,” inthe same gracious sense, no doubt, as Zaccheus, after his conversion,was “a son of Abraham” (Lu19:9<\/span>).<\/P><\/p>\n And behold there was a woman<\/strong>,…. In the synagogue, who, as infirm as she is hereafter described, got out to the place of worship; and which may be a rebuke to such, who, upon every trifling indisposition, keep at home, and excuse themselves from an attendance in the house of God:<\/p>\n which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years<\/strong>; or a weakness that was brought upon her by an evil spirit, by Satan; as appears from Lu 13:16<\/span> who, by divine permission, had a power of inflicting diseases on mankind, as is evident from the case of Job; and so the Ethiopic version renders it, “whom a demon had made infirm”: and this disorder had been of a long standing; she had laboured under it for the space of eighteen years, so that it was a known case, and had been given up as incurable, which made the following miracle the more illustrious and remarkable.<\/p>\n And was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself<\/strong>; or lift up her head, look up, or stand upright; it was a thing utterly impossible, which she could by no means do; her body was convulsed, and every part so contracted, that, as the Persic version renders it, “she could not stretch out a hand or foot”.<\/p>\n A spirit of infirmity <\/B> ( <\/SPAN><\/span>). A spirit that caused the weakness (<\/SPAN><\/span>, lack of strength) like a spirit of bondage (Ro 8:15<\/span>), genitive case.<\/P> She was bowed together <\/B> ( <\/SPAN><\/span>). Periphrastic imperfect active of <\/SPAN><\/span>, old verb, here only in the N.T., to bend together, medical word for curvature of the spine.<\/P> And could in no wise lift herself up <\/B> ( <\/SPAN><\/span>). Negative form of the previous statement. <\/SPAN><\/span>, first aorist active infinitive of <\/SPAN><\/span> (, <\/SPAN><\/span>, same verb above compounded with <\/SPAN><\/span>). Unable to bend herself up or back at all ( <\/SPAN><\/span>, wholly as in Heb 7:25<\/span> only other passage in the N.T. where it occurs). The poor old woman had to come in all bent over. <\/P> <\/p>\n Spirit of infirmity. A spirit which caused infirmity. An evil demon, see ver. 16, though it is not certain that it was a case of possession. The details of the disease, and the noting of the time of its continuance, are characteristic of a physician ‘s narrative. <\/P> Bowed together [] <\/SPAN><\/span>. Only here in New Testament. <\/P> Lift herself up [] <\/SPAN><\/span>. Only here in New Testament, unless Joh 8:7 – 10<\/span> be accepted as genuine. Used by Galen of strengthening the vertebrae of the spine.<\/P> <\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n 1) “And, behold, there was a woman,” <\/strong>(kai idou gune) “And behold (take note) there was a woman,” a special kind of woman, and a particular woman, long in need.<\/p>\n 2) “Which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years,” <\/strong>(pneuma echousa astheneias hete dekaokto) “Who had had a spirit of infirmity for a period of eighteen years,” a demon possessed woman whom Satan had bound, Luk 13:16<\/span>. Yet it did not keep her from the place of worship and prayer.<\/p>\n 3) “And was bowed together,” <\/strong>(kai en sugkuptousa) “And was bending double,” with bodily weakness, as often expressed “bent-double,” held in slave bondage by an evil spirit, “whom Satan had bound,” Luk 13:16<\/span>.<\/p>\n 4) “And could in no wise lift up herself.” <\/strong>(kai me dunamene anakupsai eis to panteles) “And she was not able to become entirely erect,” therefore could not even look up and see Jesus.<\/p>\n 11. And, lo, a woman Here is related a miracle performed on a woman who was cured, and the offense which the malignity of the Jews led them to take up, because our Lord had cured her on a Sabbath -day Luke says that the woman was held by a spirit of infirmity, so that her body was bent by the contraction of her nerves. As the nature of the disease is no farther described, it is probable that it was not one of an ordinary kind, or which was understood by physicians; and, therefore, he calls it a spirit of infirmity. We know that diseases of an unusual and extraordinary kind are, for the most part, inflicted on men through the agency of the devil; and this gave the more striking display of the divine power of Christ, which triumphed over Satan. Not that Satan rules over men according to his pleasure, but only so far as God grants to him permission to injure them. Besides, as the Lord, from whom alone all our blessings flow, makes his glory to shine with peculiar brightness in those blessings which are more remarkable, and of rare occurrence; so, on the other hand, it is his will that the power and tyranny of Satan should be chiefly regarded in extraordinary chastisements, though his agency is likewise employed in those more gentle applications of the rod, which we experience from day to day. <\/p>\n (11) Behold, there was a woman. . . .<\/strong>The description indicates the accuracy of the trained observer. The duration of the affliction (as in Act. 9:33<\/span>), the symptoms of permanent curvature of the spine, the very form of the two participles, bent together<\/em>. . . . unable to unbend,<\/em> are all characteristic. The phrase a spirit of infirmity, i.e.,<\/em> an evil spirit producing bodily infirmity, implies a diagnosis that the seat of the powerlessness, as in some forms of catalepsy and aphasia, was in the region in which soul and body act and react on each other. The presence of such a sufferer in the synagogue may, perhaps, be held to imply habitual devotion, and therefore the faith that made her receptive of the healing power.<\/p>\n 11<\/strong>. <\/strong> Spirit of infirmity<\/em> Not perhaps a case of complete possession, but of bodily debility produced under Satanic influence. Stier denies that subjection to Satanic influence is any proof of wickedness, and claims that this woman was afflicted by Satan in spite of her piety, like Job of old. She is found in the synagogue on the Sabbath to hear the words of life; not a word is said of the pardon of her sins; when she is healed she breaks forth in devout songs of praise to God, and she is pronounced by the Saviour, with manifest tenderness, a “daughter of Abraham.” <\/p>\n Eighteen years<\/em> For that long period Satan had been destroying, but God had been keeping her alive. She had lived and suffered to some purpose; for she had survived to prove, by the very length and obstinacy of her disorder, the true power of Jesus to heal. <\/p>\n Bowed together lift up herself<\/em> Her body, if not her soul, bowed to the earth. So does the power of Satan bind the souls <\/em> of sensual men to the earth. They are unable to look up to the God above them. It is the power of the Redeemer that can loosen their bonds if they apply to him, and give them power to raise themselves up and to use their tongues in praise of his strange mercy.<\/p>\n ‘And behold, a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and she was bowed together, and could in no wise lift herself up.’<\/p>\n ‘And behold.’ This may well indicate that He suddenly spotted her while He was teaching. What He spotted was a woman who was bent double and could not straighten herself. In view of the connection with an evil spirit it was probably skoliasis hysterica, a partly psychological condition. Others see it as spondylitis ankylopoietica indicating a fusion of the spinal bones. The one may, of course, have resulted in the other.<\/p>\n The woman had been affected in this way by an evil spirit for ‘eighteen years’. A connection with the ‘eighteen’ who perished at Siloam may well be in mind, with the thought that she too was suffering because of sin in the world. She was bowed double and could not lift herself up. She was a picture of a world bent double by sin, and unable to stand tall.<\/p>\n Luk 13:11<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong>There was a woman, <\/em><\/strong>&c.<\/strong> Jesus happening to preach in one of the synagogues of Perea on a sabbath-day, cast his eyes upon a woman in the congregations, who had not been able to stand upright during the space of eighteen years. <\/em>Wherefore pitying her affliction, he restored her body to its natural soundness. What the evangelist means by a spirit of infirmity, we learn from our Lord himself, Luk 13:16<\/span>.a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years. <\/em>The last clause of this verse is better rendered by Dr. Heylin, Could by no means raise herself up; <\/em>or, was utterly unable to raise herself upright.<\/em> <\/p>\n 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<\/em> . <\/p>\n<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n Ver. 11. And was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself<\/strong> ] This infirmity might proceed from the gonorrhoea; but, besides that, the devil had a hand in it, for she was bound by Satan,Luk 13:16<\/span>Luk 13:16<\/span> . Novi quandam mulierem<\/em> (saith Dr Garenceires) quae adhuc in vivis est-quae cum tribus abhinc annis gonorrhaea simplici laboraret, ea neglecta, tantam seminis iacturam intra annum passa est, ut quae prius erectae et firmae staturae fuerat, luxatis vertebris non solum gibbosa facta est, verum etiam in tantum<\/em> incidit, ut mentum umbilico (stupendum dictu) ferme insideat: vicinis interea illud pro miraculo habentibus.<\/em> (De Tabe Anglicana.) <\/p>\n 11. <\/strong> <\/strong> . <\/strong> <\/strong> .<\/strong> ] Her weakness was the effect of permitted power of the evil one ( Luk 13:16 ); but whether we are to find here a direct instance of possession<\/em> , seems very doubtful. There is nothing in our Lord’s words addressed to her, to imply it: and in such cases He did not lay on His hands, or touch<\/em> , but only in cases of sickness or bodily infirmity.<\/p>\n <\/strong> belongs to , not to .: see note on ref. Heb.<\/p>\n Luk 13:11<\/span> . : the Jews saw the action of a foreign power in every form of disease which presented the aspect of the sufferer’s will being overmastered. In this case the woman was bent and could not straighten herself when she tried. , bent together, here only in N.T. goes with , and implies either that she could not erect her head, or body at all<\/em> , or entirely<\/em> . The former is more in keeping with the idea of bondage to a foreign spirit (Schanz). Similar use of the phrase in Heb 7:25<\/span> .<\/p>\n spirit. Greek. pneuma. An evil demon. App-101.12. <\/p>\n of = causing. Genitive of Origin. App-17. <\/p>\n eighteen years. A type of the condition of the nation. A long-standing case, as “Signs” “C” and “C”. App-176. <\/p>\n bowed together = bent double. Occurs only here in N.T. <\/p>\n could in no wise lift = wholly unable to lift, &c. <\/p>\n in no wise. Not. Greek. ou me, as in Luk 13:35; but me eis to panteles = not unto the furthest extent = unable to the uttermost. Occurs only here (complete human inability), and Heb 7:25(complete Divine ability). <\/p>\n lift up. Occurs only here, Luk 21:28 and Joh 8:7, Joh 8:10 in the N.T. <\/p>\n 11. . .] Her weakness was the effect of permitted power of the evil one (Luk 13:16); but whether we are to find here a direct instance of possession, seems very doubtful. There is nothing in our Lords words addressed to her, to imply it: and in such cases He did not lay on His hands, or touch,-but only in cases of sickness or bodily infirmity.<\/p>\n belongs to , not to .: see note on ref. Heb.<\/p>\n Luk 13:11-12. 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.<\/p>\n Observe the word Behold here. Sometimes, in old books, they used to put a hand in the margin to call attention to something special in the text, so, this word seems as though nobody in the synagogue was worthy of such special notice as the most forlorn and desolate individual there: a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and who bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. It was to be a happy sabbath for her, though she did not know it. She used to go to the synagogue, though it must have been painful for her to be present; possibly, she could not even see the minister, she was so bowed together. It must have been a great surprise to her when the Saviour called her to him, and said to her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.<\/p>\n Luk 13:13. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately he was made straight, and glorified God.<\/p>\n I should think she did. We have no record of what she said; she may have merely cried out, Hallelujah; but the very look of her, her streaming eyes filled with gratitude, her face beaming with delight, all tended to glorify God. Even if she had said nothing, her being made straight would of itself have glorified God; and, just as that once crooked woman could glorify God, so can a guilty sinner, crushed and helpless, glorify God. It was when Christs hands were laid upon her that she was made straight. Oh, that he would lay his hands on some of you! May this be to you the saving Sabbath of the year, that God may be glorified in you.<\/p>\n Luk 13:14. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation,<\/p>\n Poor soul! Surely he was more crooked than the infirm woman was: but, alas! he did not get healed.<\/p>\n Luk 13:14. 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.<\/p>\n The Lord then answered him; and what an answer it was! <\/p>\n Luk 13:15-17. The Lord thou 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! 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.<\/p>\n His reply was unanswerable.<\/p>\n Luk 13:18. Then said he,<\/p>\n They were in a right frame for hearing, having been rendered attentive by their admiration for his miraculous work and his wondrous word.<\/p>\n Luk 13:18-22. Unto what is the kingdom of God like, and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it, and again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.<\/p>\n Practically, that is what he was always doing, journeying toward Jerusalem, toward that great climax of his life, his substitutionary death upon the cross of Calvary.<\/p>\n Luk 13:23. Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved?<\/p>\n That is a question that many have asked, and some have vainly tried to answer. What did Jesus reply?<\/p>\n Luk 13:23-24. And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate:<\/p>\n Instead of gratifying idle curiosity, he excites to diligence in seeking entrance into the narrow way.<\/p>\n Luk 13:24. For many, say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.<\/p>\n They will only seek, not strive, to enter in. There will also come, in the future, a time when they may seek as they will, and strive as they will, to enter in but it will be too late then. Once having passed into another world, there will be no hope for any seeker or striver.<\/p>\n Luk 13:25. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, <\/p>\n They do not like to go away, they are reluctant to meet their final doom. Oh, that they had been wise enough to cry for mercy when it was to be had! Now they stand, and begin to knock; and more than that, they begin to plead.<\/p>\n Luk 13:25. Saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us;<\/p>\n All this earnestness, all this deference, all this reverence have come too late.<\/p>\n Luk 13:25-26. And he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.<\/p>\n We were regular hearers of the Word; we observed all the usual forms of religion, we even went to the communion table.<\/p>\n Luk 13:27-28. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.<\/p>\n Driven away, yet they could see the saintly ones there, and see their own kith and kin there, for they were Jews, and they could see. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets there, but they themselves were cast out; and what was worse for them:<\/p>\n Luk 13:29. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. <\/p>\n Rank outsiders, far off heathen, outrageous sinners, harlots; they shall come, and repent, and sit down in the kingdom of God, and this shall cut to the quick those who were hearers of the Word, but who perished because they were workers of iniquity.<\/p>\n Luk 13:30. And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.<\/p>\n Many who, today, seem to be unlikely to be converted, those who are last in character, will yet be first in repentance; and there who are first in privileges, and even in hopefulness, who will be last in the great day of account. May we take home to our hearts this solemn warning!<\/p>\n Luk 13:31. The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.<\/p>\n Think of the Pharisees being concerned about Christs life! What an affectation of regard! Yet it was only affectation. We must always be on our guard against the foes of God even when they speak most fairly; indeed, it is their agreeable, affectionate words that we have most cause to dread.<\/p>\n Luk 13:32. And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox,<\/p>\n Jesus called Herod a fox because he wanted to get Christ out of his territory without having the opprobrium of driving him away. So he sent this roundabout message to try to make a coward of the Lord, and to get him to go off on his own account.<\/p>\n Luk 13:32. Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.<\/p>\n That is, I shall stay my full time here, while I have work to do, I shall do it, and I am not going away until it is finished. I am not afraid of Herod threatening to kill me, for I am immortal till my work is done. He is not even flurried, or put about by such a message as that. Besides when men mean to bite, they do not usually bark; and if Herod had meant to kill Christ just then, he would not have told him what he was going to do.<\/p>\n Luk 13:33. Nevertheless I must walk today, and tomorrow, and the day following for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. <\/p>\n What a sad thing for Christ to have to say! So many holy men had been murdered in Jerusalem that he roughly put it as being true, in the main, that all the prophets were martyred there, the exceptions only proving the rule.<\/p>\n Luk 13:34. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killed the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!<\/p>\n There was their weakness, they were like a brood of chickens; there was his power to protect them, like a hen gathers her brood under her wings; yet there was their infatuation, that they would rather perish than come and be sheltered beneath his almighty wings: and ye would not.<\/p>\n Luk 13:35. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.<\/p>\n There will be no true glory for Jerusalem until the Jews are converted; there will be no return of Christ to that royal city until they shall welcome him with louder hosannas than they gave when he rode in triumph through the streets, and entered into the temple. The Lord grant that we may never reject Christ! Let us run, even now, like little chicks, and hide beneath the wings of the Eternal.<\/p>\n Luk 13:11. , a woman) This seems to have been a pious woman; for she was one to whom it was not said in this passage [as in the case of others], Thy sins are forgiven thee: nay, even she is called a daughter of Abraham in Luk 13:16.-, bowed together) The state and posture of her body, which turned her face from the gaze of heaven, was in consonance with her misery in having a spirit of infirmity ( ).<\/p>\n a spirit: Luk 13:16, Luk 8:2, Job 2:7, Psa 6:2, Mat 9:32, Mat 9:33 <\/p>\n eighteen: Luk 8:27, Luk 8:43, Mar 9:21, Joh 5:5, Joh 5:6, Joh 9:19-21, Act 3:2, Act 4:22, Act 14:8-10 <\/p>\n bowed: Psa 38:6, Psa 42:5, *marg. Psa 145:14, Psa 146:8 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Mat 9:6 – Arise Mar 5:25 – twelve Act 14:10 – Stand<\/p>\n THE UPLIFTING POWER OF THE GOSPEL<\/p>\n 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. Immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.<\/p>\n Luk 13:11-14<\/p>\n Luke dwells with peculiar sympathy on the tenderness of Christ.<\/p>\n Our text is an illustration of the verse, I am found of them that sought Me not. Here is grace, amazing grace, sovereign grace, grace much more abounding, as St. Paul would say. Nature transforms soot into diamonds and mud into opals and sapphires; grace works greater marvels as the heavens are higher than the earth.<\/p>\n I. Christ still uplifts men.Those sunk in sin are suddenly arrested and lifted up. The habits of a lifetime are reversed: profane songs give place to hymns of praise. The forces of heredity are driven back; the Stronger Man expels the strong man armed; old things pass away, all things become new. The Gospel is still the power of God. Christ moves down the ages with the tramp of a conqueror, and stoops with the tenderness of a mother to uplift the fallen.<\/p>\n II. Those who are lowest can be raised up by Him.Christ appears at His best when man is at his worst. Have you ever noticed water-lilies grow? The root is perhaps in eight or ten feet of muddy water: the sun draws it out of those dark depths, and the bud bursts into a blaze of white and gold, and lo! it becomes a companion of the sun which has drawn it of darkness into its own marvellous light. Never look at a water-lily without thinking of St. Peters words: He has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.<\/p>\n III. All this is a matter of experience.It is a matter of experience that Christ uplifts those who have fallen into sin, and can in no wise lift up themselves by any power of their own. He uplifts those who are crushed and broken-hearted with sorrow, and turns the dark night into the morning. He uplifts those whose minds are clouded with distressing doubts and whose feet are bleeding and sore, and by His Spirit teaches them to find answers to all their hard questions at the foot of His Cross.<\/p>\n Rev. F. Harper.<\/p>\n Illustrations<\/p>\n (1) Charles Kingsley asked Turner how he came to paint The Storm at Sea, his masterpiece of colour and arrangement. I painted it, replied Turner, under the stimulus of a personal experience. I was, at my own desire, lashed to the mast of a ship in a gale off the coast of Holland that I might study every incident in detail. <\/p>\n (2) Seneca, the philosopher, who seemed not far from the Kingdom of God, confessed the feebleness of his Stoicism, and pleaded with a pathetic cry, None of us has strength to rise; and oh that some one would stretch out a hand! Some One stretched out His Hands on Calvary to lift up the fallen.<\/p>\n 1<\/p>\n Spirit of infirmity means the woman was bent over from weakness to such an extent that she could not straigthen herself up.<\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n [Having a spirit of infirmity.] I. The Jews distinguish between spirits, and devils, and good angels. “All things do subserve to the glory of the King of kings, the holy blessed One, even spirits, also devils also ministering angels.”<\/p>\n The difficulty is in what sense they take spirits; as they are distinguished from angels and devils; when it is probable they did not mean human souls. But these things are not the business of this place.<\/p>\n II. Therefore, as to this phrase in St. Luke, a spirit of infirmity; let us begin our inquiry from this passage: “It is written, ‘If I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your inheritance.’ R. Judah saith, ‘This foretells such plagues to come upon them.’ R. Simeon saith, ‘He excepts those violent plagues that do not render a man unclean.’ ” Where the Gloss is, If those plagues come by the insufflation of the devil, which do not defile the man. And the Gemara a little after; “Rabba saith, He excepts the plagues of spirits. Rabh Papa saith, ‘He excepts the plagues of enchantments.’ ” Where the Gloss again hath it; “Those plagues which are inflicted by the insufflation of the devil, not by the hands of men.”<\/p>\n I. You see, therefore, first, that it was a most received opinion amongst the Jews, that diseases or plagues might be inflicted by the devil. Which is plain also from the evangelists; because our Saviour, in this very place, tells us, that the bowing together of this woman was inflicted upon her by Satan.<\/p>\n II. They conceived further, that some diseases were inflicted that were unclean, and some that were not unclean. The unclean were the leprosy, issues, etc.; not unclean, were such as this woman’s infirmity, etc.<\/p>\n III. They distinguish betwixt an evil spirit; and an unclean spirit. Not but they accounted an unclean spirit ill enough, and an evil spirit to be unclean enough; but that they might distinguish the various operations of the devil, as also concerning the various persons possessed and afflicted by him.<\/p>\n 1. They acknowledged that evil spirits might inflict diseases. “Whomsoever either the Gentiles, or evil spirit drive,” i.e. beyond the bounds of the sabbath. Where the Gloss is; “The evil spirit is the devil that hath entered into him, disturbs his intellectuals, so that he is carried beyond the bounds.” But Rambam saith, “They call all kind of melancholy an evil spirit.” And elsewhere: an evil spirit; i.e. a disease.<\/p>\n 2. The unclean spirit amongst them was chiefly and more peculiarly that devil that haunted places of burial, and such-like, that were most unclean. The unclean spirit; i.e. the devil that haunts burying-places. “Thither the necromancer betook himself” (as the Gemara hath it, which I have also quoted in another place); “and when he had macerated himself with fasting, he lodgeth amongst the tombs, to the end that he might be the more inspired by the unclean spirit.” Nor is it much otherwise (as they themselves relate it) with the python or prophesying spirit. “For the Rabbins deliver: the python is he that speaks within the parts.” The Gloss is, “He that raiseth a dead person, and sits between the parts of the bones,” etc.<\/p>\n Hence that reason of our conjecture concerning that demoniac, Luk 4:33; that he was either a necromancer or pythonist, taken from that unusual way of expressing it which is there observable, not having an unclean spirit; nor having an unclean devil; but having a spirit of an unclean devil.<\/p>\n There were therefore two sorts of men whom they accounted under the possession of an unclean spirit; in their proper sense so called: those especially who sought and were ambitious to be inspired of the devil amongst tombs and unclean places; and those also, who, being involuntarily possessed by the devils, betook themselves amongst tombs and such places of uncleanness. And whether they upon whom the devil inflicted unclean diseases should be ranked in the same degree, I do not determine. There were others who were not acted by such diabolical furies, but afflicted with other kind of diseases, whom they accounted under the operation of an evil spirit of disease or infirmity. Not of uncleanness; but of infirmity. And perhaps the evangelist speaks according to this antithesis, that this woman had neither a spirit of uncleanness; according to what they judged of a spirit of uncleanness; nor a disease of uncleanness; but a spirit of infirmity.<\/p>\n Luk 13:11. A spirit of infirmity eighteen years. This suggests a form of demoniacal possession; and Luk 13:16 shows that Satanic influence was present in her case. Our Lord, however, did not heal demoniacs by laying on of hands, but by a word of command. Yet in this case He both speaks (Luk 13:12) and lays hands upon her (Luk 13:13). The effect of her disease was that she was bowed together; her muscular power was so deficient, that she could in no wise lift herself up. She had some power, but it was insufficient to allow her to straighten herself up. This view represents the woman, not as remaining passively bowed, but ever attempting and failing to stand straight.<\/p>\n Verse 11 <\/p>\n A spirit of infirmity. This was a case, apparently, of spinal distortion produced, according to the literal import of this language, by the agency of an evil spirit. So (Luke 13:16) she is spoken of as bound by Satan. <\/p>\n 13:11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a {d} spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up [herself].<\/p>\n (d) Troubled with a disease which Satan caused.<\/p>\n 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.] 11. a spirit of infirmity ] Her curvature is thus directly attributed to Satanic agency. Job 2:6-7; Act 10:38. Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges There was … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 13:11”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25511"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25511\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
<\/P> Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Greek Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"