The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 2 — Section 14

wo.y wero clear, of Divine help. 2. We mark the ready ffl(}/Tl,ijestation of his sympathy. Ho instanHy spolce to her words of cheer and kindliness, awakening such hopes as she hnd not cherished for many a long year; and then he laid upon her a healing touch: "he laid hie hands on her." It means much when God "lays his hand upon us." It meant everything to this woman with the new hope in her heart, that this kind, strong Prophet laid his hand of love and power upon her person; then she felt how near he ho.d come to her, how close at hand was the dolivering hour. 3. Then came the exer- cise of his benignant power. A great as well as a good work was wrought. (1) The injury by long disease was undone in a single moment; the rigidity of eighteen years was" immediately" relaxed (see Acts iv. 22). (2) The great Healer raised to the full stature and to the dignity and capacity of perfect womanhood one who bad been help- lessly and hopelessly disfigured and crippled. (3) And he called forth from her, and from all who witnessed his work, reverent and grateful joy; she and they rejoiced and glorified God. II. OUR OWN OPPORTUNITY. 1. The presence of human wrong, and its manifold con- sequences. Around us are ignorance, unbelief, vice, crime, sin; arouncl. us, therefore, are poverty, want, suffering, shame, degradation, death. No man who has an open eye for the condition of his kind can fail to see, day by day, some pitiful object that may well excite his deepest and tenderest compassion-men and women, all too many, whom sin has" bowed down," and who can" in no wise lift themselves up." 2. The manifestation of our sympathy. And how shall we show our feeling of regret and of desire? (1) By our voice; by speaking the kind, true, enlightening, hope-giving word. (2) By our touch; we shall not succeed without this. 'l'o take a man by the band, or to lay a brotherly hand upon his shoulder, is to come into healing contact with him. It is to "come near" to the one we are seeking to bless; it i:! to give h.im the sense that, instead of " standing aloof," we feel and own and claim our brother- hood with him; it is to stand on the same level with him-the level of our co=on humanity, our erring, striving, suffering, aspiring humanity; tt is to be where the healing and restoring power can be exercised and received. 3. The result of our healing touch. We exert the influence that elevates. The first result is enlightenment con- cerning himself; then faith in a Divine Saviour; then uprightness of character and erectness of spirit. 'l'he man is "made straight." He is no longer bowed down in spiritual bondage, with eyes directed to the earth; he stands erect in spiritual freedom, in purity of heart, in a large and blessed hopefulness ; he has attained, through the influence of Christian love, a noble elevation; henceforth he will walk in the way ot life, with all true dignity, in all gladness of soul, giving glory to the great Healer.-C. Vers, 14-16.-Suggestions from the synagogue. The fact that this work of our Lord (see previous homily) was wrought in a synagogue on the sabbath day, and that it led to an outburst of fanaticism on the part of the ruler, which was followed by the severe rebuke of Christ, may suggest to us- I. 'fBAT EARNEST SEEKERS AT THE SANOTUARY MAY FD.'D MORE TBA.:l{ THEY SEEK. We may class this woman amongst the earnest seekers; for the fact that, with such a bodily infirmity as hers, she was found in her place in the house of God is evidence of her devotion. She went there, we may assume, to seek the ordinary spiritual refresh- ment and strength which are to be found in worship, in drawing near to God and in learning his will. She found this as usual, and a great deal more ; she found i=e- diate and complete restoration from her old complaint; she found a new life before her; she found a new Teacher, a Lord of love and power, in whose Person and in whose ministry God was most graciously manifesting himself to her. If we go to the sanc- tuary in an entirely unspiritual mood, with no hunger of soul in us, we shall probably come empty away; but if we go there to worship God and to inquire of his will, desirous of offering to him the service be can accept, and to gain from him the blessing he is willing to impart, then is it not only possible, but likely, that we may secure more than we seek. God will n:.anifest himself to us in ways we did not anticipate; will show us the path we had never seen before; will take a.way the burden we thought we should bring home on our heart; will fill us with the peace or the hope that passes all our uuderstanding; will open to us gates of wisdom or joy we never thought to «inter,  ](l THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [cu. xm. 1-36.