[4.] Jesus heals a crippled woman (Luke 13:10-17)
The woman is a symbol of a sickly ‘church’ (Jeremiah 6:2; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:22-33), ill with a disease that assaults the body (Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 12:12,27; Ephesians 3:6, 4:12, 5:23), being hunched over and not “upright” (Leviticus 26:13; 2 Samuel 22:24,26; Job 1:1,8, 2:3, 8:6, 12:4, 17:8; Psalms 7:10, 11:7, 18:23, 19:13, 25:8, 37:37, 111:1, 112:4; Ecclesiastes 7:29, 12:10; Song of Solomon 1:4; Isaiah 26:7; Daniel 8:18; &c), not without sin. She was thus “bound” “eighteen” ((Luke 13:11,16); 18 = 6+6+6) years, being “oppressed” (Judges 10:8) by the devil, who loves to torment and destroy (Luke 13:4). She could not “lift herself up” (Luke 13:11), but needed Jesus to be lifted up (James 4:10; Psalms 30:1). She glorifies God (Luke 13:3; Revelation 14:6-12; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14) before all through faith.
[5.] Jesus heals a man with Dropsy (Luke 14:1-6)
The man symbolizes the individual in Christ’s “church” (Acts 7:38; 1 Corinthians 10:4), was in “perils of waters” (2 Corinthians 11:26; Jonah 2:5; Lamentations 3:54), being too full (imbalance) of earthly or worldly waters (2 Samuel 22:5; Psalms 18:3-4, 32:6, 65:7, 89:9-10, 93:3-4, 98:7-9, 124:1-5; Song of Solomon 8:7; Isaiah 8:7, 17:12-13, 28:2, 59:19; Jeremiah 46:8, 47:2, 51:13,41-42; Ezekiel 31:15; Daniel 9:26, 11:22; Amos 8:8, 9:5; Matthew 7:25,27; Jude 1:13; Revelation 17:1,15), overflowing, and flooding over, which was causing him to swell in the “flesh” (John 3:6; Romans 8:8), because there was an heart (Psalms 51:10; ‘love, love’ (heart sound), Revelation 2:4; Mark 12:30), liver or kidney (‘reins’, filter of toxins/poisons; Psalms 7:9, 26:2, 73:21; Jeremiah 11:20, 17:10; Revelation 2:23; Proverbs 4:23) issue. The man was in a “ditch” (Luke 14:5-6) and needed salvation (Isaiah 56:1), and was set free (John 8:32). A dead sea, is always receiving of God’s graces and love, but never sharing it, and letting it flow unto others, but holds it back, thus build up too much “salt” (Genesis 14:3; Ezekiel 47:11; James 3:12), but the one set free by Christ Jesus will never allow the waters of life to remain built up in them, but will freely distribute them unto all, as a well watered garden (Genesis 2:10-14; Isaiah 61:11; Jeremiah 31:12; Ezekiel 47:1-12; Amos 5:24; Habakkuk 2:14; Zechariah 14:8; John 4:10,14; Revelation 21:6, 22:1,17), a channel of blessing, a flowing fountain. Jesus longs to walk in His garden (us) again (Song of Solomon 4:12,16, 5:1).
[6.] Jesus drives out an evil spirit (Mark 1:21-28)
The man symbolizes the individual in Christ’s “church” (Acts 7:38; 1 Corinthians 10:4), with an “evil spirit” (mind/heart), and in need of cleansing, and to be given right understanding of God’s love, for the man asks (1 John 4:1) if Jesus came to destroy (Mark 1:24) sinners (for there are many who think God evil in this way, vindictive), but Jesus came not to condemn (John 3:17), but to save (John 3:16) and give life (John 10:10) to all who would accept the gift of grace. The devil will put up a fight, seek to torment as long as he can (Mark 1:26), and wrongfully speak of God’s character (Mark 1:24; Exodus 33:12-23, 34:1-9, 20:5-7), but if we have faith in Jesus Christ, we will always be victorious (Luke 10:17-20; Revelation 12:7-12) and have right understanding and living with God. Even in the midst of the ‘holy people of God’, there are those suffering and need to be set free by the true and loving reconciling word of God. A church which only has those persons which rely upon those who have never experienced God’s grace for themselves, but only refer to others of experience, breeds such conditions (Mark 1:22,27). Yet, where the experience of Jesus’ authority is present (Mark 12:37) in a saved person, therein is a place of healing. Experience Jesus for yourself today (Genesis 4:26; Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13). Where Christ Jesus abides, evil thinking and speaking cannot abide.
[7.] Jesus heals a lame man by the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-24)
The man symbolizes the individual in Christ’s “church” (Acts 7:38; 1 Corinthians 10:4), lame in their ‘legs’, or “walk” (1 John 2:6). The man was crippled for “thirty and eight years” (John 5:5), just as Israel of old (Deuteronomy 2:14). Bethesda means “House of Mercy/Grace”. An evil angel (John 5:4) sought (Galatians 1:8-9) to turn peoples’ attention from the Creator/Redeemer/Healer to the things of this earth (earthly water, thus men for salvation/healing; 2 Samuel 22:5; Psalms 18:3-4, 32:6, 65:7, 89:9-10, 93:3-4, 98:7-9,124:1-5; Song of Solomon 8:7; Isaiah 8:7, 17:12-13, 28:2, 59:19; Jeremiah 46:8, 47:2, 51:13,41-42; Ezekiel 31:15; Daniel 9:26, 11:22; Amos 8:8, 9:5; Matthew 7:25,27; Jude 1:13; Revelation 17:1,15), but Jesus simply comes to each one of us by the Holy Spirit and asks if we want to be healed of our sins/diseases (Isaiah 53:4-5; 1 Peter 2:24). Jesus will cause to arise from the “bed of languishing … sickness” (Psalms 41:3) , even death itself (Job 17:13; Ephesians 2:1;, 5:14 Colossians 2:13; Isaiah 60:1) to live unto God. We shall no longer be carried about (Ephesians 4:14; Hebrews 13:9; Jude 1:12), be we shall carry the the burden of Christ Jesus, and the cross (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34, 10:21; Luke 9:23). Our sins (John 5:14) bring about disease of body and spirit, but repentance by God’s grace through faith will lead to healing (John 5:6,9,11).
