Daily Journey Through the Great Fast With the Early Churchنموونە

In the world we look all around us and see so many people in the bondage of sins, yet so many of those same people claim to be "free". Free exactly to do what? Free exactly how? They believe they are free to make their own choices, free to do what they please to do with their bodies, free to say whatever comes to their minds without thinking of the consequences, and so on.

When you are chained by the bonds of sin, you arenotactually free. Satan has his hold on them and loosens the leash a little to let them think they’re freely roaming as they want, that they are the ones freely making their choices, all the while not realizing they are leashed by the collar as a dog to his master. However, the opposite is true with God - “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” [John 8:36]. When we abide in Christ, He will abide in us andthatwill make us free. But be forewarned - when those people that are bitterly bound by sin, those that are not actually free, realize that youarefree, well, they won’t be too happy with that.

Remember the crippled woman in Luke 13? If not, here’s a refresher. What we know about her: she was a Jew (Luke 13:16), she had been crippled for eighteen years (18 years!) because of the spirit of infirmity (Luke 13:11), which St. Cyril of Jerusalem explains to be a “suffering from the cruelty of the devil”. We also notice that she was faithful because we see her attending a sermon of Jesus without any other intention, but to attend. Jesus called the crippled woman to Him and He healed her, right then and there.

The crippled woman did not take any action to request Jesus’ healing. We do not see this woman shouting in the crowd, waving her hand asking to be healed, pushing through people, asking others to get Jesus’ attention on her behalf...we do not even see this woman engaged in conversation with Him. All she did was show up. She. Showed. Up.

Even through the hurt, the stares, the whispers – she showed up. Our Lord saw her (Luke 13:12), even when no one else did. He saw her in her pain, He saw her in faithfulness, He saw her and attended to her silent prayers.

The Pharisees had an issue with Jesus healing her on the Sabbath and Jesus says to them “think of it” [Luke 13:16] - they were upset that Jesus healed her, had set her free from the bondage of Satan, made her whole again, and the Pharisees, who thought they were free but really weren’t free, well they weren’t too happy with that, and Jesus tells them “think about this for a moment, she’s been in this condition and you want Me to wait one more day to heal her? Isn’t she a daughter of Abraham whom you follow, yet you on the Sabbath take your livestock to drink water? Where is your compassion?!” Yet, Jesus saw her faithfulness, heard her silent prayers, saw her pain, and freed her -reallyset her free indeed.

Do you ever feel like you are praying silently for so long and you remain faithful, simply waiting on Him, waiting on God to hear you? Brothers and sisters, please be assured and find hope through the story of the crippled woman, that even when we are in pain and keep showing up, He still sees us. He still hears us. He will never forget us.

How are you able to relate to the crippled woman? Are you in need of physical healing? Or maybe it’s a spiritual one? Are people gossiping about you, saying evil things against you? Are people trying to block you from receiving something for your good? Are you dealing with an addiction, betrayal, abandonment, or jealousy?

Whatever your hindrance, be encouraged that His eyes are searching for you in the crowd. He sees you even when you feel like you are not being seen. Do not turn away from Him. Remain in your longing for the day He calls you over and restores. There will be freedom through faith.

Whether you are waiting for an answer or whether Christ’s Hand has already healed you, let us glorify Him who is greater than sickness and greater than conflict. Let us look to each other and pray for one another. Let us be like the crippled woman who “strengthened up and praised God”! [Luke 13:13]

Be encouraged that through your faith you can receive sincere freedom from our Lord. Be encouraged in your trials, in your successes, in your waiting. All glory be to the All-Holy Trinity.

“Faith is the unshaken stance of the soul and is unmoved by any adversity. The believing man is not one who thinks that God can do all things, but one who trusts that he will obtain everything.” [St. John Climacus, a 7th century monk and author of “Ladder of Divine Ascent”]