What does "immediately she stood up straight" teach about God's timing in healing? Setting the Scene Luke 13:13: “Then Jesus placed His hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and began to glorify God.” A woman bent over for eighteen years meets Jesus in a synagogue. Decades of affliction end in a single touch. Waiting Years, Healing in a Moment • She had endured “a disabling spirit for eighteen years” (v. 11). • The long wait highlights the suddenness of the cure—one instant of divine intervention overturned nearly two decades of suffering. What “Immediately” Reveals About God’s Timing • Sovereign Initiative – Healing took place at the precise moment Jesus chose to act (John 5:21). • Authority Over Time – God is not constrained by duration; He can compress years of pain into an instant of restoration (2 Peter 3:8). • Perfect Alignment with Divine Purposes – The Sabbath setting magnified the miracle and confronted legalism (Luke 13:14-17). God times healings to advance His larger redemptive agenda. • Assurance of Fulfillment – When His appointed time arrives, nothing delays the outcome (Isaiah 60:22). • Contrast Between Human Waiting and Divine Suddenness – Long seasons of patience may precede swift breakthroughs (Habakkuk 2:3). Straightened Up: Evidence of Complete Restoration • “Immediately she straightened up” indicates total, not partial, healing—no rehab, no gradual improvement (Mark 7:35). • Physical change produced spiritual response; she “began to glorify God,” showing that prompt healing aims at prompt worship (Psalm 30:2, 11-12). Implications for Today • God may allow prolonged trials, yet He remains able to resolve them in a moment. • Delayed answers are not denials; they prepare occasions for greater glory. • The same Jesus still “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil” (Acts 10:38); His authority has not diminished. • Our role: stay in places where we can encounter Him—gathered worship, Scripture, prayer—so we are present when His timing unfolds. |
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