Kyphosis

Mayo Clinic defines kyphosis as an exaggerated forward bending of the upper back. It often occurs in older people due to the weakness in their spinal bones that causes them to compress or crack.

Jesus met an 18-year-old, a teenager, with kyphosis as he was teaching in one of the synagogues (Luke 13:10).

“See, that girl had a spirit that weakened (a-stheneia) her for eighteen years, and she was bent over and couldn’t stand straight at all.” (13:11)

Her illness wasn’t because of her age; it was more than physical; it was spiritual (by an evil spirit, demonic, or her worn-out spirit, emotional).

“Seeing her, Jesus called her to himself and said to her: ‘Girl, I release you of your weakness (a-stheneia).’ Then, he laid his hands on her. Immediately, she straightened up and glorified God.” (13:12–13)

While others didn’t see her or ignored her for eighteen years, Jesus paid attention to her and saw her. This word, a-stheneia, rare in the Gospels, is a combination of a “not” and stheneia “strength,” like military and athletic strength. Her upper body’s lack of strength or demonic oppression kept her in her state. 

Her healing should have been a happy occasion; everyone should have glorified God just as that young girl did. But the chief of the synagogue, like a sexton in angelical churches or a deacon in protestant churches, was just as judgmental as those who judged the innocent victims earlier (13:1–9). He became angry because Jesus healed her in a Sabbath.

To protect his flock from working on a Sabbath, he said to the crowd,

“There are six days in which one can work. Come and be healed in any of those days, but not in the day of Sabbath.” (13:14)

Tradition before healing. He wasn’t happy that the lady was healed; he was only worried that others might also seek healing on a day on which no one was to work, not even the great healer.

Jesus, too, addressed the crowd:

“O, hypocrites.* Will you all not untie your cows or donkeys from the stall and lead them to drink water?” (13:15)

The crowd would have shaken their heads, “Yes.” Releasing and leading cows or donkeys to get their drink wasn’t considered “work” or forbidden by their laws and tradition.

“See, satan had bound this Abraham’s daughter for 18 years! Should she not be released from her binding on this day of Sabbath?” (13:17)

If the cows and donkeys could be released from their binding and led to watering holes, couldn’t a human, Abraham’s daughter, be released from her binding and led to liberty? Perhaps the evil one (Satan) had bound her in her infirmity, or one of her adversaries accused her so blatantly in public that she couldn’t ever raise her head (satan, in Greek, referred to Satan and any adversary). Whatever it was, the time had come for Jesus to release her from her binding and lead her to freedom.

This was the third time he referred to seeing. The chief of the synagogue (and perhaps the crowd) had a problem of seeing that young lady’s oppression. Further, the chief was more concerned that others didn’t break the tradition or law than to receive healing. We can become guilty of both – not seeing other’s oppressions or hiding under a law or tradition to ignore other’s oppression. But we must see and release people of their oppressions with the Lord’s help.

*A hypocrite was someone who knew what was right to do and didn’t do it.