So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound -- think of it -- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?

 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.  And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.  But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."  And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.  But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day."  The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?  So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound -- think of it -- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?"  And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

- Luke 13:10-17

Yesterday we read that there were present at that season some who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  And He answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."  He also spoke this parable:  "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.  Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none.  Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?'  But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.  And if it bears fruit, well.  But if not, after that you can cut it down.'" 

 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.  And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.  But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."  And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.  But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day."  The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?  So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound -- think of it -- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?"  And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.   Patristic commentators see this woman as bent down in her infirmity -- an oppression of evil from which she needs to be released.  Jesus Himself says that Satan has bound her.  We note the pattern of healing; it's similar to the casting out of demons in Luke's Gospel:  when Jesus heals her, her immediate response is to glorify God.  In His reply to the ruler of the synagogue, Jesus commands,  "Think of it," referring to the eighteen years this woman has been bound.  My study bible says that patristic commentators see this command as directing us to a spiritual meaning for the eighteen years.  The Greek expression here is literally translated "ten and eight years."  Both St. Ambrose and Theophylact see ten as representing the Ten Commandments and eight as representing grace, as the day of Resurrection is often called the "eighth day."  Therefore humanity is lifted up by faith in Christ, who fulfills both law and grace.

I find it notable that the woman is bent over for her infirmity, and that it has oppressed her for such a long time.   Jesus gives us language that gives us an understanding of oppression and binding.  As Deliverer, Jesus is the one that frees us from those who would bind us, liberates captives from captors, unlooses bonds.  She receives, in effect, her freedom from Christ.  Not only that, but her upright position as a result also gives us an image of what she is freed for.  The word in Greek translated as "made straight" is ἀνωρθώθη/anorthothe, which literally means "made straight [or upright] again."  In other words, she is restored to her proper position.  It's noteworthy also that the root of this word is "orthos" from which comes the word "orthodox," the theological term for "correct belief."  There is a connection between this sense of being made straight and a moral or virtuous meaning of "straightforward" or "upright."   As her immediate response is to glorify God, we understand that her freedom is to become the one whom God has created her to be.  She is now unbound by Christ, freed after eighteen years -- the time it takes for full maturity -- to live as fully as she is meant to live.   Like Peter's mother-in-law after her healing by Christ (Luke 4:38-39), she is restored to her place, upright.  In Scripture, to be bound may also be a metaphor for sin that locks us into place, stagnant, and burdened with ties to things that keep us stuck.  Let us also make note of the fact that this is another story of a woman in Luke; her life, afflicted as it has been for so long, quite possibly makes her someone easily overlooked by others.  But Jesus teaches us the importance and potential in each life through His care.   Jesus challenges the narrative regarding what the Sabbath is for, and invites us to consider what full healing means.  He opens our eyes to possibilities we might not have considered for ourselves, even as He is here to liberate our "stuck thinking" so that we, too, may be restored.  What burdens and bindings have you got to lose?  Why wait any longer?  "It's never too late" is another strong part of the healing and restoring message in today's text!  The eighth day is the new day of the Kingdom, the eternal day of Resurrection, in all ways that we need it.