Crooked Woman Made Straight Series

Introduction: Disease is a terrible thing. It will be the death of every one of us. Disease is the direct result of man’s fall in the Garden of Eden. Throughout the Bible we find disease. But one day, the King of kings will conquer disease.

A careful study of the Bible will reveal three basic causes of sickness. The first is a breach of the natural law of God, such as the neglecting of rest when the body is tired and worn. The second is a breach of God’s moral law. We can see this in the case of the sick saints in the Corinthian church who refused to judge themselves. (1 Cor. 11:30-31 “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.”).

The third cause of sickness is that of Satan. This can be seen clearly in the life of Job. Job 2:6 tells us “And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.”

Paul experienced sickness coming from Satan. In 2 Cor. 12:7

Paul makes reference to this. “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.”

This is the case in our text also. In verse 16, Jesus plainly tells the crowd that was upset over the healing of this woman on the Sabbath. It shows a hard and callous heart to give this impression. They were trying to justify their hard heartedness by saying this act was work. This was not really work in the work sense of the word. Just touched her and she was made whole.

There are those who call themselves Bible believers who do not believe in the work of a personal devil. They try to say that Jesus was accommodating His language to the superstition of the day in which He lived. That is the thinking of an infidel. What is an infidel? An infidel is very similar to an atheist in that he does not say there is no God but just acts like. The definition is much greater and deeper than that but that is the essence of infidelity.

This is also the thinking of those whose eyes have been blinded by the very one whose existence they deny.

2 Cor. 4:4

“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

This poor woman, bowed together, was a victim of Satan. How can we know this for certain? Jesus told us it was so. Man, the greatest of all God’s creation was made upright. The devil and sin has made him crooked in his thoughts and ambitions. Every part of him is affected. It goes from vision to vitals. Every part is affected. The vile drunkard in the gutter or on the couch of the mansion has a twisted mind. That infidel

Professor, poisoning the minds of our youth, has twisted mind and soul. This list could go on endlessly.

As we look at the crooked Woman made straight, I want to draw your attention to thoughts.

1. Here is a woman that has been in the shape for eighteen years. We do not know for certain but I suppose she had been a member of that synagogue for eighteen years. To add clarity to my message, I am going call her Sister Sally. Sister Sally was bend together. Had been that way for eighteen years. Not the leaders of the synagogue really did not care for Sister Sally. If they did, they would not got upset over her healing.

2. There was One who cared. I am sure this is the first time He saw her. As I mentioned last week, Jesus cared. We have a whole world who can sympathize with David when he penned these words in Psalm 142:4. “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.”

That song "Does Jesus Care?" really sums up the ministry of Christ. Here is the chorus for our rejoicing in Him. "O yes, He cares, I know He cares, his heart is touched with my grief; When the days are weary, the long night dreary, I know my Saviour cares."

3. As with the other messages, I will try to give practical lessons or applications with this miracle: “Crook Woman Made Straight.”

I. THE DISEASE Vs. 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.