There are times when we read a passage of scripture and something seems to leap out of the page at us, as if we have never read it before.
That’s usually because the Holy Spirit “opens up” scripture to us as part of His work in our lives. Jesus spoke of this in John’s gospel as seen in John 14:17, 25-26, 16:5-15.

Without His help, we cannot understand scripture. That’s a bold but true statement, because God’s word is Spirit breathed or inspired.

Every Scripture has been written by the Holy Spirit, the breath of God. "IT" will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness. THEN you will be God’s servant, fully mature and perfectly prepared to fulfill any assignment God gives you. 2 Timothy 3:16–1

Think for a moment about my emphasis, "THEN" and "IT". This implies that without such assistance, we will not be God’s servant, fully mature and perfectly prepared to fulfill any assignment God gives you. “IT” means God’s instruction not some other.

Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came. He had issued the “Great commission” but they had to yet start fulfilling it. The disciples had already spent much time with the Lord and heard His preaching and teaching (the two are different) and been on ministry assignments, but had to yet take over from where He left off.

The principle has not changed.

After His resurrection and before that Day of Pentecost, two of the Lord’s disciples were going to Emmaus, talking about the things that had transpired. They were “reasoning together” which may have meant that they were having a heated debate of some kind. The account is seen in Luke 24.

Such discussions and religious debates can get rather heated, usually because those involved have set concepts and ideas and have formed opinions that may or may not be “right”—but still not see truth. Luke said that Jesus joined them and started to walk beside them, but they were unaware it was Jesus.

They were unaware that it was Jesus walking alongside them, for God prevented them from recognizing him. Luke 24:16

John the baptist did not concern himself with theological matters. He told people “Repent”. Jesus did likewise.
It’s all about getting our relationship right with God. First things first! The other things can fall into place later.

The first sermon Jesus preached was based on Isaiah 61:
The Spirit of Adonai Elohim is upon me, because Adonai has anointed me to announce good news to the poor.  He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted; to proclaim freedom to the captives, to let out into light those bound in the dark; to proclaim the year of the favor of Adonai and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn...

Jesus knew all about prophecy and end time events, but did not mention them in that passage of scripture.

He deliberately left out one part of Isaiah’s prophecy the day of vengeance of our God.

Luke’s account reads as follows:
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been raised, he went into the synagogue, as he always did on the Sabbath day. When Jesus came to the front to read the Scriptures, they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and read where it is written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, and he has anointed me to be hope for the poor, freedom for the brokenhearted, and new eyes for the blind, and to preach to prisoners, ‘You are set free!’ I have come to share the message of Jubilee, for the time of God’s great acceptance has begun.”  Luke 4:16-19

He came to set us free and to share the message of Jubilee and that is now our job. The “Great Commission” is to “go ye”, to teach preach on the Kingdom of God—to demonstrate it—and to make disciples of the Lord. Like those two disciples in Luke’s gospel, we tend to talk “about” the things of God, but not give them the truth that sets the captives free. Instead we build our churches in which we hold meetings and concentrate on the peripherals that may or may not be true, whilst people like the woman in our story remain bound.

Those few words “Woman I set you free” were spoken to a woman who was in desperate plight when Jesus met her. She may have been attending the church for at eighteen years, whilst struggling to get there in the process.

It seems that she did not receive any real and practical assistance, but she not want charity—she wanted real help. Charity is a good expression of our faith but charity alone does not liberate anyone.

We can give a man a fish today and feed him, but he will be hungry again tomorrow, but if we give him a fish, something to catch his own fish with and teach him how to catch his own, we can change his life.

She attended the prayer meetings and bible classes, paid her tithes and took up membership affiliation, but was still bound. It still happens today.

She was there was when Jesus taught, arousing the ire of the religious leaders. This often happened and still happens when truth is taught. Truth, it seems, often stirs something up inside religious people, even to this day.

It happened in Luke chapter eleven, when the Lord cast an evil spirit from a man and restored his speech. Rather than being happy for the man, the religious leaders reacted negatively and spat out their venom against Him.

A woman then spoke up and what she said was right, but look at His reply:
While he was saying all this, a woman shouted from the crowd, “God bless the one who gave you birth and nursed you as a child!” “Yes,” said Jesus. “But God will bless all who listen to the word of God and carefully obey everything they hear.” Luke 11:27–28

Jesus often dealt with controversy.

One day there was a crowd gathered around Jesus, and among them was a man who was mute. Jesus drove out of the man the spirit that made him unable to speak. Once the demon left him, the mute man’s tongue was loosed and he was able to speak again. The stunned crowd saw it all and marveled in amazement over this miracle! But there were some in the crowd who protested, saying, “He casts out demons by the power of Satan, the demon king.” Others were skeptical and tried to persuade Jesus to perform a spectacular display of power to prove that he was the Messiah.
Luke 11:14–16

The crippled woman

We can now look at the dear woman who is the central figure in our story.

Yeshua was teaching in one of the synagogues on Shabbat.
A woman came up who had a spirit which had crippled her for eighteen years; she was bent double and unable to stand erect at all. On seeing her, Yeshua called her and said to her, “Lady, you have been set free from your weakness!” He put his hands on her, and at once she stood upright and began to glorify God. But the president of the synagogue, indignant that Yeshua had healed on Shabbat, spoke up and said to the congregation, “There are six days in the week for working; so come during those days to be healed, not on Shabbat! Luke 13:10–14

Those religious leaders did not care about her, but concentrated on their man made customs and traditions and we still see this in most modern day churches today.

God had indeed established the principle of Shabbat (Sabbath) and I agree with many who advocate that our Saturday is the Sabbath day—not Sunday, but never get hung up on “which day?”

The bible teaches that every day is the Lord’s day.

In Matthew 12, Mark 2:28 and Luke 6:5, Jesus declared that He is Lord of the Sabbath. In Mark 2:27, He said that Sabbath was made for man, not that man was created for Sabbath. The latter is what religious traditions force on us. Paul spoke at length on such matters in Galatians and especially in Colossians chapter two.

Practicing Jews revere Torah. They spend much time in Torah study, especially on Shabbat. Such Torah must be handwritten and those who record God’s holy word meticulously copy every letter.

I have heard that if they make a mistake, they do not simply erase they error—they start again. Those Scribes and Pharisees “knew” every letter.

They could determine what punctuation mark should exist, but did not have any revelation at all! Jesus told such people:
You keep examining the Tanakh because you think that in it you have eternal life. Those very Scriptures bear witness to me, but you won’t come to me in order to have life!  John 5:39–40

This is one reason I keep emphasizing that we must make the word of God our primary source of information and direction in life and apply it. Other sources may provide factual information but may not contain that life giving, liberating force that is only available via the conduit of the Holy Spirit.

In Luke 13:11 Jesus saw a woman that was crippled for 18 years by a spirit while He was teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath. 

The number eighteen is a special number in the Jewish numerological tradition where letters can have a numerical value. For example, the letter A in Hebrew can also equate to the number 1. The letter B can equal 2. The letter T  is the equivalent to 10 and so on. 

By such methods we can see something extraordinary in a biblical account that is easily glossed over.

When we add the numbers 10 and 8 together, it obviously equals 18, but I cannot find a direct meaning to this number.

We may however see some kind of symbolism by looking at its factors mathematically.

There are several ways to reach this number as follows 2 X 9, or 3 X 3. The number 9 is also derived by adding 3 + 6.

In mathematical science it possesses properties and powers which are found in no other number. It is the last of the digits, thus marking the end of something and it is significant of the conclusion of a matter.

We look first at the number 2.

This number affirms that there is a difference between some things. It denotes that there is something that is different or an alternative. It is in opposition, or at enmity with certain things. It speaks of oppression, chaos and ruin and we can see this in the creation account in Genesis. When God created the heavens and the earth, it was in such a state, but in verse 2, God issued a command and changed everything and severed the dark from light and it became good.

The number 3 is the first geometrical figure. There are 3 sides to a triangle and a triangular shape is extremely strong. This is why braces in various constructions form a triangular shape. Three stands for the things that are solid, real, substantial, complete and entire. God possesses the attributes of omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence and the Godhead is comprised of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We deal with time in three ways—past, present and future and we live by thought, word and deed. There are three kingdoms in “nature”, namely animal, vegetable and mineral. Three denotes divine perfection. 

The number 6 is “man’s number”. It represents mans world and labour and imperfection.

The number 9 can speak of finality and judgment.

We can now see that the letters represented by those numbers one and eight take on a new meaning.

When putting the letters ch and y together, they form the word chai that means “alive.”  

Jesus perceived that this woman, despite her terrible physical state, was still infused with spiritual life. She may have been bowed down physically, but she still had a spiritual pulse, unlike those religious bigots. 

When Jesus laid his hands upon the woman, he revitalizing her living being to the core and she was wondrously healed.

When He told her “Woman, I set you free”, He liberated her in every area of her life.  number 18 therefore speaks of such things.

My dear friend, is it possible that you have need of such a touch? 

You may say that you go to church, but so did this dear woman. 

You may say that you are serving the Lord, but service does not assume anyone is really free.

You may excel in acquiring information, but not be free.

Perhaps, like those disciples on the road to Emmaus, you cannot really see the Lord...

Perhaps you desire more out of your relationship with the Lord, but do not know how to go about it, or are struggling to fulfil that desire.

Whatever your situation may be, the Lord gave me this assignment to declare liberty to you—the same liberty Jesus proclaimed when he told that dear woman, “You are free”...

Blessings,

Robert