And He laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. Luke 13:13 ESV1
Read Luke 13:10-17
I was traveling through the center of a city near my home with two of my friends. We passed a church building that was for sale. There was a sign out front. My one friend said, “I wonder what is going in that building. It must be a business from a foreign country. The sign is written in letters that are unfamiliar to me.” My other friend contradicted her. “Oh, no,” she said, “The sign reads ‘First Presbyterian Church.’ It is just upside down and backward.” Then we all saw it. Indeed, in an attempt to show that the building would soon be changing hands, the seller or the realtor had taken out the transparent, printed panel of the sign and had replaced it upside down and backward.
When I think of that event, I think of Jesus. Much of what He said and did seemed (and still seems) upside down and backward. This next account illustrates that truth perfectly.
“When the days drew near for Him to be taken up, He set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). He and His disciples “went on from [the villages of Caesarea Philippi (see Mark 8:27)] and passed through Galilee … And they came to Capernaum” (Mark 9:30a & 33a). “And He left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to Him again. And again, as was His custom, He taught them” (Mark 10:1).
“Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath” (Luke 13:10).
“The synagogue was the place where Jews gathered for instruction and worship in the New Testament period. The Greek word synagogue [sunagwghv] means ‘assembly’ and can refer simply to the gathering of people itself ( James 2:2 ) or to the building in which they gather ( Luke 7:5 ) … At the time of the New Testament, synagogues were found throughout the Roman Empire as local centers for the study of the law and for worship. As such, they served a different role in the life of the Jewish people than did the Jerusalem temple … Synagogue services included prayers, the reading of Scripture, and, usually, a sermon explaining the Scripture. The chief administrative officer was the synagogue ruler ( Mark 5:22 ; Luke 13:14 ; Acts 13:15 ; Acts 18:8 Acts 18:17 ), who was assisted by an executive officer who handled the details of the synagogue service ( Luke 4:20 ). Laypeople were allowed to participate in the services, especially in the reading of the prayers and the Scripture ( Luke 4:16-20 ). Visiting sages could be invited to provide the sermon ( Luke 4:21 ; Acts 13:15 ). Synagogues were attended by both men and women, as well as by God-fearing Gentiles who were committed to learning more about the God of the Jews ( Acts 17:4 Acts 17:12).”2
“And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself” (Luke 13:11). If you are able, take a moment right now, bend over and walk around the room. I’ll bet you can’t do it for eighteen minutes. Think about how difficult it would have been to live like that for eighteen years! It would have been laborious for her to make a meal for her family. She probably would have been unable to hold her grandchildren on her lap. Imagine how challenging it would have been for her to have gotten dressed. Presume to process what she would have to go through to sit or lie down. Now, think about how troublesome it would have been for her to go anywhere in public. Yet, somehow, she made it to the synagogue that day.
“When Jesus saw her, He called her over” (Luke 13:12a). Though she would have had to struggle to see His face, she could follow His voice. Perhaps she had wanted to come to Jesus before, but she had wondered how she would maneuver through a crowd. Now, the congregants parted making a way for her. When the woman reached Jesus, He “said to her, ‘Woman, you are freed from your disability.’ And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God” (Luke 13:12b-13).
Freedom! If you took me up on the challenge above, you were probably counting down the minutes to when you could stand up again. Perhaps you whispered, “Thank God,” when the time was up. This woman, who, once she became handicapped, likely never expected to ever walk upright again, must have praised God with everything she had.
“But the ruler of the synagogue [was] indignant, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath” Luke13:14a). Jesus was a guest speaker. The synagogue ruler had taken a risk when he invited Jesus to share His thoughts. Jesus had spent some time in His earlier ministry speaking in synagogues, but He hadn’t done that in a while. He had also performed healings on the Sabbath day, but He had done fewer of those in the recent past, as well. Perhaps, the synagogue ruler thought Jesus had put this kind of behavior behind Himself. Yet, Jesus was a celebrity. Maybe the synagogue ruler invited Jesus because he was looking to boost attendance at the synagogue.
Whatever the case, in an attempt to nip in the bud any further healings that day, the synagogue ruler “said to the people, ‘There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.’ Then the Lord answered him, ‘You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?’” (Luke 13:14b-16).
Think about it, just how much work did Jesus actually do here? He merely called the woman to Him and touched her back. She was immediately healed. He didn’t go through any process. He didn’t command a demon to leave. He didn’t mix up a potion. He just touched her. The woman did more work coming to Him than He did healing her.
That which Jesus did certainly wasn’t as much work even as untying an ox or a donkey and leading it to water, which any good Jew who owned animals would do every Sabbath. Some who wouldn’t think of letting an animal go twenty-four hours without water would prefer this woman continue in her disability at least another day. Praise God, not everyone at the gathering that day felt the same way as the synagogue ruler. “As [Jesus] said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by Him” (Luke 13:17).
Then Jesus gave His sermon. “He said, therefore, ‘What is the Kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.’ And again, He said, ‘To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until it was all leavened’” (Luke 13:18-21). Jesus gave a really short sermon about some really small things–mustard seeds and yeast. But before we get into the meat of His sermon, let’s talk about all that is upside down and backward in this account.
First, the disabled woman was a physical representation of upside down and backward. For eighteen years, she had lived her life with her head down and her back forward. With one touch, Jesus literally turned her life around. Physically her life was turned right side up. This immediately led her to praise God. I assume the praise continued every time she did anything which had been impossible before but was now simple.
Spiritually, we all once lived (or are currently living) our lives upside down and backward. Before salvation, our eyes were focused on earthly things and our backs were turned to Jesus. But, when we heard Jesus call to us, and when we responded to His touch, our spiritual lives were instantly turned around. Our eyes were able to see things His way. This resulted in praise that continues whenever we realize what had once been impossible—being adopted as a Child of God, inheriting everlasting life, and gaining victory over sin—is now attainable, through Him.
Second, the synagogue ruler’s reaction to Jesus showed an upside down and backward understanding of God and His law. The fourth commandment, which the LORD literally wrote in stone, and gave to Moses to teach His people was, “‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates’” (Exodus 20:9-10). Violating the Sabbath was serious business that came with a stiff penalty. In the Old Testament, people were actually stoned for working on the Sabbath (see Numbers 15:32-36). The synagogue ruler was right in not wanting anything happening in his synagogue, under his watch, that would dishonor God and break the fourth commandment. What he didn’t realize was that he was chastising the “Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8). Keeping the Sabbath day had become a burden for the Jewish people, something God never intended. “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).
Lest we get too hard on the synagogue ruler, let us remember, there is much Jesus taught which seems upside down and backward to us in the culture in which we are living. Consider the following: “‘Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well’” (Matthew 5:39-40). “‘The last will be first, and the first last’” (Matthew 20:16). And, “‘Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you’” (Luke 6:27-28).
Third, Jesus’ sermon seemed upside down and backward to those expecting to hear something amazing from such a popular and public figure. Taking into account all the places He had traveled, all the sermons, discourses, and teachings He had given, and all the miracles He had performed, I imagine His sermon was a bit of a disappointment for the audience. But, just because it was short, doesn’t mean it was simple. To those who were able to spiritually read upside down and backward, or as Jesus put it, to those who had ears to hear (see Matthew 13:9-16), Jesus said much in those few words.
The small things about which Jesus spoke, when put to work doing that which God designed them to do, become something much larger than themselves. Often times, it is the little things put in the hands of God that make the biggest impact. “‘If you have faith [in God] like a grain of mustard seed, you will [be able to] say to [a] mountain [of a problem], “Move from here to there,” and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you’” (Matthew 17:20). A little boy’s lunch, blessed by God, can be multiplied to feed a multitude (see John 6:5-11). “‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit’” (John 12:24).
Jesus’ visit to this town was short. His visit to their synagogue was short. His sermon was short. The miracle He performed here only took a few seconds.
Jesus’ life on Earth was short—just about 30 years. His ministry was short—about 3 years. His main purpose for His coming took only one day. He hung on the cross for only three hours.
From a purely worldly perspective, Jesus’ ministry could be considered a miserable failure. From a spiritual perspective, though, what He did was the most important thing ever done in all of human history. That one act of taking the punishment for the sin of all mankind made all the difference because it released every one of us, who is willing to believe and surrender his/her life to Him, from the bondage under which Satan had put us.
But the best news yet is that He also only stayed dead for a short period of time—just parts of three days. Now, He is in Heaven where He will reign forever. We will also be on this Earth for only a relatively short time. If we take Jesus up on His offer for spiritual healing, we will spend eternity with Him in Heaven.
For now, if you have dedicated your life to Christ, the little things, the things that you and others tend to overlook, may just be the biggest things you do. That smile you shared with a stranger. That abandoned cart you returned to the corral. Or that conversation you had with an elderly person could mean more in the spiritual realm than the money in your bank account, the degrees on office your wall, and the number of people who turn out to hear you teach, or who buy your book or album.
Jesus often turns things upside down and backward from the world’s perspective. Pray for the spiritual ability to read upside down and backward.
1 Scripture quotations marked with ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All Scriptures are taken from the ESV unless otherwise noted. To aid in understanding, I have capitalized references to God.
2https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/synagogue.html