Christ Loosens From Infirmities

Christ Loosens From Infirmities

(No. 3195)

A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 1910.

DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.

"And, behold, there was a woman which hada spirit ofinfirmity eighteen
years, and was bent over, and could in no wise lift herselfup. And when
Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said unto her, Woman, you are
loosened from your infirmity And He laid His hands on her: and
immediately she was made straight, and glorified God." Luke 13:11-13.

[See Sermons #1426, Volume 24–THE LIFTING UP OF THE BOWED DOWN and
#2891, Volume 50–A SABBATH MIRACLE– for sermons on the same miracle.]

OUR text commences with a "behold"–"behold, there was a woman." And as
it was often remarked by the Puritan writers, whenever we see the word,
"behold," in Scripture, we are to regard it as a nota bene, as a mark
in the margin calling our particular attention to what follows. Where
Christ worked wonders, we should have attentive eyes and ears. When
Jesus is dispensing blessings, whether to ourselves or to others, we
should never be in a state of indifference!

I shall use this miracle as a type, as it were, for doubtless the
miracles of Christ were so intended. Our Lord was declared to be "a
Prophet mighty in deed and word." He was to be a Prophet like unto
Moses and He is the only one who was like unto Moses in these two
respects. Many Prophets followed Moses who were mighty in "word"–such
as Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Isaiah, but then they were not "mighty in
deed." Many, on the other hand, were "mighty in deed"– like Elijah and
Elisha, but they were not "mighty in word." Our Lord was mighty in both
respects and a Prophet in both respects–"a Prophet mighty in deed and
word." I take it, therefore, that His miraculous deeds are parts of His
prophecies. They are the illustrations of His great life-sermon. The
words which fell from His lips are as the text and the letter of the
Book, but the miracles are the pictures from which our childlike minds
may often learn more than from the words, themselves. We shall so use
the picture before us now–may the Holy Spirit give us instruction!

I. In the first place, THIS WOMAN, BOWED DOWN WITH A SPIRIT OF
INFIRMITY, TYPIFIES TO US THE CASE OF VERY MANY–very many whom we have
seen and some of whom are listening to these words. Oh, that the same
miracle might be worked in them as in her! She typifies persons who are
depressed in spirit, who cannot look up to Heaven and rejoice in the
Lord Jesus Christ, persons who have a hope, a good hope, too, but not a
strong one–a hope which enables them to hold on as the men did in
Paul's shipwreck when, on boards and broken pieces of the ship they
came safe to land, but not a hope which gives them an abundant entrance
into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. They
are saved, like this woman, who was a true daughter of Abraham,
notwithstanding all her infirmities. She was truly of the promised
seed, notwithstanding that she could not lift herself up, so these are
genuine Christians, truly saved, and yet constantly subject to
infirmity.

In some, it takes this shape. They believe in Christ and rest on the
precious blood, yet they are sometimes afraid that they have sinned the
unpardonable sin. Though their better and more reasonable selves will
do battle against the delusion, still they hug it to their hearts.
Seeing that the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a sin which is
unto death–and that when a man has committed it, his spirit dies–and
repentance, the desire to be saved and all good emotions cease to be
when that dreadful spiritual death is ours, I say that they can thus
reason with themselves in their better moments and see that their fear
is a delusion, but they soon fall back again into that dreadful slough.
They see no signs of Grace, but they think they see signs of
reprobation.

Many have I met with–I may say that I meet with such people every
week– who are afraid that they are hypocrites. When I encounter
persons troubled with this fear, I cannot help smiling at them, for if
they really were hypocrites, they would not be afraid of it and their
fear of presumption argues very strongly that they are not living in
it!

Then this infirmity will take another shape. If you drive them from the
other errors, they say they are afraid that they are self-deluded. This
is a very proper fear when it leads to self-examination and comes to an
end. But it becomes a very improper fear when it perpetually destroys
our joy, prevents our saying, "Abba, Father," with an unfaltering
tongue and keeps us at a distance from the precious Savior who would
have us come very near to Him and be most familiar with His brotherly
heart.

Supposing this difficulty should be met, still there are tens of
thousands who are very much in doubt concerning their election. What if
they should not be elect, they say? This, of course results from
ignorance, for if they read the Word, they would soon discover that all
those who believe in Christ may be certain of their election–faith
being the public mark of God's privately chosen people! If you make
your calling sure, you have made your election sure! If you know
yourself now to be a lover of God, resting upon the great Propitiation
which He has set forth for sin, then you may know that this is a work
of Grace in your soul! God never worked a work of Grace where He had
not make an electionof Grace. That fear, therefore, may be easily
driven away and yet thousands are in bondage to it!

Others are afflicted with the daily fear that they shall not persevere.
They say, "After all our professions and prayers, we fear we shall yet
be castaways." The Apostle Paul was not afflicted with this fear. He
strove lest this fear should ever come near him. He so lived with holy
diligence, that he might always be in a state of blessed assurance,
lest, after having preached to others, he, himself, should be a
castaway. But he could say, "I know that my Redeemer lives," even as
Job could. And he could also say, "I know whom I have believed, and am
persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him
against that day." Still, tens of thousands are perpetually subject to
that form of bondage! They cannot reach, in fact, the full assurance of
faith. They have scarcely even the glimmering of Assurance. They
trust–they trust as the publican did, "standing afar off," but they
have never yet come with John to lean their heads upon the bosom of the
Savior! They are His disciples and His servants, but they can scarcely
understand how He can call them His friends and permit them to enjoy
close communion with Himself.

Now, Beloved, this woman thus bowed down was very like these persons
for the following reasons–

Her infirmity much marred her beauty The beauty and dignity of the
human form is to walk erect, to look the sun in the face and gaze upon
the heavens. This woman could do nothing of the kind. She was, no
doubt, very conscious of this and shrank from the public gaze. So
unbelief, distrust, mistrust, suspicion–these direful infirmities to
which some are subject, spoil their spiritual beauty. They have the
Divine Grace of humility. In this respect, they very often excel
others, but the other graces, the noble graces of faith and holy
confidence and courage–these they cannot display. The beauty of their
character is marred.

Moreover, this woman had her enjoyment spoiled. It must have been a sad
thing for her to go about the world bent double. She could not gaze on
the beauties of Nature as others could and all her motions must have
been, if not painful, yet certainly exceedingly inconvenient. Such is
the case with the doubting, distrustful soul under infirmity. He can do
but little. Prayer is a painful groaning out of his soul. When he
sings, it is usually in a deep bass. His harp hangs upon the willows.
He feels that he is in Babylon and cannot sing the songs of Zion.

This woman, too, must have been very unfit for active service. Little
of household duty could she perform, and that with pain. And as to
public acts of mercy, she could take but small part in them, being
subject to this constant infirmity. And so is it with you who are
"Much-Afraids" or, "Fearings," you who have troubled spirits. You
cannot lead the van in the day of battle. You can scarcely tell others
of the Savior's preciousness. You cannot expect to be great reapers in
the Master's harvest. You have to stay by the stuff while others go
forth to fight. There is a special law which David made of old
concerning those who tarried there, so you do get a blessing, but you
miss the higher blessing of noble activity and Christian service.

I might thus enlarge and show the likeness more clearly, but I think
you can draw the picture for yourselves. You see the woman come into
the synagogue and your pity is at once excited. But if you love the
souls of men and God has made you to be tender as a nursing mother to
others, you will pity, yet more, many of the true seed of Abraham who
are bowed down with infirmity.

It appears, from our Savior's words, that this woman's infirmity was
coupled with Satanic influence. "Whom Satan has bound," He said, "lo,
these eighteen years." We do not know how much Satan has to do with us.
I do know that we often lay a great deal on his back which he does not
deserve–and that we do a thousand evil things ourselves and then

ascribe them to him. Still, there are gracious souls who do walk in the
paths of holiness, who do hate sin, who, for all that, sometimes cannot
enjoy peace. We cannot blame them. We must believe that the Satanic
spirit is at work, marring their joy and spoiling their comfort. Dr.
Watts says–

"He worries whom he cannot devour

With a malicious joy"–

and doubtless that is true. He knows he cannot destroy you because you
are in Christ and, therefore, if the dog cannot bite, he will at least
bark. Like Mercy, in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, you will often be
alarmed by the evil ones and all the more so because these evil ones
know that in a little while you will be out of gunshot of all the
powers of Hell, and beyond the hearing of all the bellowing of the
fiends of the Pit! Satan had much to do with this poor woman's
infirmity.

It appears, very clearly, too, from reading the passage, that the
woman's weakness was beyond all human art. "She could in no wise lift
herself up," which implies, I think, that she had tried all ways within
her reach and knowledge. "She could in no wise." Neither by those
mechanical operations which have sometimes been found effective in such
diseases, nor by those medicines which were much vaunted in that age,
could she receive the slightest relief. She had done her best and
physicians had done their worst–and yet notwithstanding all, she could
by no means lift herself up–and, truly, there are many in this
condition spiritually. Have you ever been, as a Christian pastor,
utterly baffled in dealing with some cases of spiritual distress? Have
you ever been driven to pray, feeling the blessedness of prayer all the
more because you have proved the futility of your own efforts to
comfort a sin-distressed, Satan-tossed spirit? Often has that been my
case. There has been the promise to meet the case, but the poor soul
could not lay hold of it! There has been the cheering Word of God which
has been efficient enough at other times, but it seemed to be a dead
letter to this poor spirit in bondage. There has been the case, in
point, and the experience of somebody else just like the case in hand,
which we tried to tell with sympathy. We tried to work ourselves, as it
were, into the position of the sufferer with whom we were dealing. But
still, for all that, we seemed to be speaking to the winds and trying
to comfort one who was so conditioned to sorrow that he felt that for
him to cast off the somber weeds would be a sin, and to cease to mourn
would be presumption. Many a time has such a case come before us and we
have thought of this woman–and could only pray that the Master would
put His hand upon the person, for our hand and our voice were utterly
powerless!

Poor soul, she had been a long time in this case! Eighteen years!
Eighteen years! Well, that is not very long if you are in health,
strength and prosperity. How the years trip along as with wings on
their heels! They are scarcely here before they are fled! But 18 years
of infirmity, pain and constantly-increasing weakness! Eighteen years
she dragged her chain until the iron entered into her soul. Eighteen
years! Two long apprenticeships to sorrow till she had become the
acquaintance of grief. Yes, and some such persons, though prisoners of
hope, are kept in bondage as long as that. Their disease is like an
intermittent fever which comes on, sometimes, and then is relieved.
They have times when they are at their worst–the ebb tide–and then
they have their floods again. Now and then they have a glimpse of
summer, but soon the cold chilly winter comes on them again. Sometimes
they half think they have escaped and leap like the emancipated slave
when his fetters are broken, but they very soon have to go back again
to the jails and the manacles, having no permanent relief, still being
prisoners year after year. I know I am describing a case which is known
to some of you. Perhaps I am photographing you!

Yet for all this, this woman was a daughter of Abraham. The Lord Jesus
knew her pedigree and assured the ruler of the synagogue of it. She was
one of the true seed of Israel notwithstanding all her failings. "Ought
not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, to be loosened even on the
Sabbath?" demanded the Master. Yes, and you, poor anxious spirit,
though your faith is but as a grain of mustard seed, yet, if you have a
simple faith in Christ, you are safe! You, troubled and tossed one,
though your boat seems ready to be swallowed up by the waves, if you
have taken Jesus into the vessel, you shall come safely to the land!
Poor Heart, you may be brought very low, but you shall never be brought
low enough to perish, for underneath there are the everlasting arms.
Like Jonah, you may go to the bottoms of the mountains and think that
the earth with her bars is about you forever, but you shall yet be
brought up and you shall sing Jonah's song, "Salvation is of the Lord!"
God does not cast off His people because of their dark frames and
feelings. He does not love them because of their high
enjoyments–neither will He reject them because of their deep
depressions. Christian is dear. Father Honest is dear.
Valiant-for-Truth, too, is dear to the King of the pilgrims! And
Ready-to-Halt, upon his

crutches, is equally dear, and Mr. Fearing and Miss Much-Afraid, though
they may lie in Doubting Castle till they are almost starved, shall
surely be brought out, for they are true pilgrims and shall at length
safely reach the Celestial City!

II. But we must pass on to our second point, namely that THE EXAMPLE OF
THIS WOMAN IS INSTRUCTIVE TO ALL IN HER CASE.

Observe that she did not tamely yield to her infirmity without effort.
The expression, "She could in no wise l ift herself up"–an old Saxon
form of saying, "She could in no ways lift herself up"–shows, as I
have said before, that she had tried her best. I believe some of you
might stand upright if you liked. I am quite certain that in some
cases, people get into the way of surrendering to depression until at
last they become powerless against it. Some stimulant is given them in
the form of a sick husband, or a dying child and they grow quite
cheerful. Under some real trouble, they become patient, but when this
real trouble is taken away, they begin manufacturing troubles of their
own. They are never happy, I might almost say, except when they are
miserable–and never cheerful except when they have something to cast
them down! If they have a real trouble, they get strength to bear it,
but at other times, they are morbidly troubled in spirit. Now, let us
imitate this woman and shake off our doubts and our unbelief as much as
possible. Let us strike up the hymn–

"Begone, unbelief, my Savor is near! And for my relief will surely
appear. By prayer let me wrestle, and He will perform, With Christ in
the vessel, I smile at the storm!" Let us say, with David, "Why are you
cast down, O my Soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope you in
God, for I shall yet praise Him." Do not so soon yield to the shafts of
unbelief. Hold up the shield of faith and say to your soul, "No, as the
Lord lives, who is the Rock of my salvation, my castle and my high
tower, my weapon of defense and my glory, I will not yield to unbelief.
Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him. And though all things go
against me, yet will I stay myself upon the mighty God of Jacob, and I
will not fear." The woman, then, had done her best.

Note next, that although bent double and, therefore, having an
excellent excuse for staying at home, yet she was found at the
synagogue. I believe she was always found there from the fact that the
length of time during which she had been sick was well known–not
merely known to Christ because of His Godhead, but known as a matter of
common talk and common knowledge in the synagogue, probably, during the
whole of the 18 years she had been an attendant there. "Ah," she
thought, "if I miss the blessing of health, yet I will not be absent
from the place where God's people meet together for worship. I have had
sweet enjoyments in the singing of the Psalms and in listening to the
Word–and I will not be away when such Divine Grace is being
dispensed."

mourners, never let Satan prevail upon you to "forsake the assembling
of yourselves together, as the manner of some is." If you cannot get
comfort, still go to the sanctuary. It is the most likely place for you
to get it. One of the sweet traits of character in mourners is that
they love to go to the assemblies of God's people. I knew one aged
woman who had year after year been in this mournful state, and after
trying long to comfort her, but in vain, I said to her, "Well, what do
you go to the House of Prayer for? Why don't you stay at home?" "Why,
that is my only comfort!" she said. "I thought you told me you were a
hypocrite," I answered, "and that you had no right to the promises or
any of the good things?" "Ah, but I could not stay away from the place
where my best friends, my kindred, dwell," she replied. "And do you
read your Bible?" I asked her. "I suppose you have burned that."
"Burned my Bible!" she said in horror. "I'd sooner be burned myself!"
"But do you read it? You say there is nothing there for you–if you
were to lay hold upon the promises, it would be presumption–you are
afraid to grasp any one of the good things of the Covenant!" "Ah, but I
could not do without reading my Bible. That is my daily bread. It is my
constant food," she responded. "But do you pray?" "Pray! Oh yes, I
shall die praying!" "But you told me that you had no faith at all, that
you were not one of God's people, that you were a deceiver and I know
not what besides!" "Yes, I am afraid, sometimes, that I am. I am afraid
now that I am, but as long as I live I'll pray." All the marks of the
child of God were in her private character–and could be seen in her
walk and conversation–and yet she was always bowed down and could by
no means lift herself up!

1 remember a Brother minister who was the means, in God's hands, of
comforting a woman when she lay dying in this plight. He said to her,
"Well, Sarah, you tell me you do not love Christ at all. Are you sure
you do not?" "Yes, Sir. I am sure I do not." He went up to the window
and wrote on a piece of paper, "I do not love the Lord Jesus Christ.'"
"Now, Sarah," he said "just put your name at the bottom of that." "What
is it, Sir? I do not know what it is." When she read it, she said, "No,
I'd rather be torn in pieces than I'd put my name to such a thing as
that!" "Well," he said, "but if

it is true, you may as well write it as say it." And this was the means
of convincing and persuading her that there really was love to Christ
in her soul, after all! But in many cases you cannot comfort these poor
souls at all. They will still say that they are not the Lord's people,
yet they cling to the means of Grace and, by-and-by, we trust they will
get deliverance.

Observe another thing, that though we are not told it in so many words
in the narrative, we may be sure it is true, when the Lord Jesus called
her, she came at once. She was called and there was no hesitation in
her answer. Such speed as she could make in her poor, pitiable plight,
she made. She did not say, as another said, "Lord, if You will, you
can." She did not doubt His will. Nor did she imitate another and say,
"If You can do anything." She doubted not His power. She said nothing,
but we know what she felt. There is not a trace of unbelief! There is
every sign of obedience. Now, Soul, when Christ does call you, by His
Grace, make haste to run to Him! When, under the preaching of the Lord,
you feel as though the iceberg is beginning to melt, do not get away
from the sunlight and go back to the old winter gloom! "Make hay while
the sun shines," says the old proverb–take care that you do the same.
When God gives you a little light, prize it. Thank Him for it and ask
for more. If you have got starlight, ask for moonlight. When you have
got moonlight, do not sit down and weep because it is only moonlight,
but ask Him for more, and He will give you sunlight, and when you have
got that, be grateful, and He will give you yet more! He will make your
day to be as the light of seven days, and the days of your mourning
shall be ended. Think much of little mercies since you deserve none. Do
not throw away these pearls because they are not the greatest that were
ever found, but keep them, thank God for them, and then soon He will
send you the best treasures from the treasury of His Grace.

As soon as this woman was healed, she was, in another respect, an
example to us, namely, that she glorified God. Her face did it. With
what luster was it lit up! Her whole gait did it. How erect she stood!
And then I am sure her tongue did it. The woman might well be pardoned
for speaking this once in the midst of the assembly. Restored as she
was, all of a sudden, she could not help telling out the joy she felt
within! The bells of her heart were ringing merry peals! She must give
glory to God who had worked the cure. Some of you profess to have been
cured, but have you given glory to God? Some of you profess to be
Christians, and yet you have never come forward to avow it! You have
been afraid to unite yourselves with the Christian Church! Your Master
bids you confess Him. The mode of confession which He prescribes is
that you be baptized in His name–and yet, though He has saved you, you
stand back and are disobedient. Take care! "That servant which knew his
lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his
will, shall be beaten with many stripes."

I was, this week, by the bedside of a dying man, an heir of Heaven,
washed in the precious blood of Jesus, I believe, and rejoicing in that
fact, too, but yet he could not help saying, "I ought, years ago, to
have taken my stand with God's people. You have often given me many
hard blows in the Tabernacle, but never too hard. Tell the people, when
you speak to them again, when they know anything is a duty, never to
postpone it, for that Word of God is true, 'That servant which knew his
lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his
will, shall be beaten with many stripes.' I am not condemned, I am not
cast away, for I am in Christ. I am resting on His precious blood and I
am saved. But, though saved, I am being chastened." And he was sorely
chastened with many doubts, fears and troubles of soul. If you are
God's child, any duty neglected will bring upon your soul some
chastisement. If you are not God's child, you may do very much as you
like and your punishmentwill, perhaps, not come upon you until the next
world. But if you are one of the King's favorites, you must walk very
tenderly and very attentively, or else, as surely as you are dear to
the heart of God, you shall feel the rod upon you to chasten you and to
bring you back into the path of obedience!

This woman glorified God. Brothers and Sisters, can we not do something
more to glorify God than we have yet done? If we have done that which
seemed to be our duty on certain occasions, may there not be yet more
for us to do? There is very much land yet to be possessed for King
Jesus! This wicked city is given over to sin and we are doing so
little! Ah, some of you do what you can, but we who do what we can,
might do more if we had more strength with which to do it–and more
strength is to be had for the asking! Oh, that we could enlarge our
desires for the glory of King Jesus! Oh, to set Him upon a glorious
high throne and to crown Him with many crowns, to prostrate ourselves
at His feet and to bring others, too, to lie prostrate at His feet,
that He might be King in Jeshurun, King of kings and Lord of lords,
reigning in our souls forever and ever! Imitate this woman. If you have
been bowed down and yet restored to comfort! See that, like she did,
you instantly fall to glorifying God.

III. And this brings us to the last point–THE WOMAN'S CURE IS
EXCEEDINGLY INSTRUCTIVE TO PERSONS IN A LIKE CASE.

She went to the synagogue, but she did not get her cure alone by going
there. Means and ordinances are nothing in themselves! They are to be
used, but they are only dry skin bottles, without water, unless there
is something more than these. This woman met with Christ in the
synagogue–and then came the healing! May we, too, meet with Jesus!
That great encounter is possible here, or anywhere, for–

"Wherever we seek Him, He is found, And everyplace is hallowed ground."
The great matter is to meet with Him! And if we meet with Him, we meet
with all we need!

Now, observe the woman's cure. In the first place, it was a complete
cure. No part of the infirmity remained. She was not left a little
crooked, but still much restored. No, "she was made straight." When
Jesus heals, He heals not by halves. His works of Grace may have it
said of each one of them, "It is finished." Salvation is a finished
work throughout.

In the next place, the woman's cure was a perpetual and permanent one.
She did not return, by-and-by, by a terrible relapse, to her former
posture. Once made to walk upright, she remained so. When Jesus sheds
abroad life, love and joy in the soul, it is ours for a perpetual
inheritance and we may hold it till we die, nor lose it even then!

Notice, too, that the woman was healed immediately. That is a point
which Luke takes care to mention. The cure did not take days, or weeks,
or months, or years, as physicians cures do–but she was cured
immediately! Here is encouragement for you who have been depressed for
years. There is yet a possibility that you may be perfectly and
speedily restored. Yet may the dust be taken from your eyes! Yet may
your face be anointed with fresh oil! Yet may you glow and glisten in
the light of Jesus' Countenance while you reflect the light that shines
upon you from Him! It may happen tonight–at this moment! Gates may be
taken from off their hinges, for the mighty Samson, whom we serve, can
tear up Gaza's gates, posts and bars and all if He wills to set His
captives free! If you are bound by all the fetters that self can forge,
yet at one emancipating word from Christ, you shall be entirely free!
Doubting Castle may be very strong, but He who comes to fight with
Giant Despair is stronger, still. He who has kept you beneath his power
is mighty, but the All Mighty is He who conquered at Bozrah and who
will conquer everywhere else when He comes forth for the deliverance of
His people! Take down your harps from the willows! Be encouraged! Jesus
Christ loosens the prisoners! He is the Lord, the Liberator. He comes
to set the captives free and to glorify Himself in them!

I remind you of the thought with which we commenced this third point,
namely, that the woman's restoration was effected by Jesus Christ, by
His laying His hands upon her. Many of His cures were worked in this
way, by bringing His own Personality into contact with human infirmity.
"He laid His hands upon her." O Soul, Christ came in human flesh and
that contact with humanity is the source of all salvation! If you
believe in Christ, He comes a second time into contact with you! Oh,
that your soul might get a touch of Him tonight! He is a Man like
yourself, though He is also "very God of very God."

In order to save us, He suffered unutterable pangs. The whole weight of
our sin was laid upon Him, till He was bruised as beneath the wheels of
the car of vengeance. Beneath the upper and the nether millstones of
Divine Vengeance, the Savior was ground like fine flour! God knows, and
God alone knows, what agonies He bore. All this was substitutionary for
sinners. Let not your sins, then, depress you. Had you no sin, you
would not need a Savior. Come with your sin and trust in Him! Let not
your weakness distress you. Had you no weakness, you would not need a
mighty Savior. Come and take hold upon His strength, for all His
strength is meant for the weak, the hopeless and the helpless. Sitting
on the dunghill of your sin, yet trust in Jesus and you shall be lifted
up to dwell among the princes of the blood-royal! There must be power
to save in God when He becomes Man to bleed and die. Nothing can be
impossible to Him who built the world and who bears the pillars thereof
upon His shoulders–and yet gives His hands to the nails and His heart
to the spear! Nothing can be impossible to Immanuel, God With Us, when
He smarts, and groans, and submits to the bloody sweat, and then
empties out His heart's blood that He might redeem men from their
iniquities–

"O come all you in whom are fixed The deadly stains of sin!"

Draw near to the Crucified! Let your souls contemplate Christ. Let your
faith look to Him. Let your love embrace Him. Cast away all other
confidences as mere vanities that will delude you. Away with them!
Trust in nothing but the Lord Jesus Christ–His Person, His work, His
life, His death, His Resurrection, His Ascension, His glorious pleading
before

the Throne of God for sinners such as we are! Ah, when you come to die,
you who are strong and you who are depressed, will be very much alike
in this matter–that you will have to come back where Wesley was when
he said–

"Jesus, lover of my soul,

Let me to Your bosom flee!

Other refuge have I none–

Hangs my helpless soul on Thee." Look to the wounds of Christ, they
will heal your wounds! Look to the death of Christ, it will be the
death of your doubts! Look to the life of Christ, it shall be the life
of your hopes! Look to the glory of Christ, it shall be the glory of
your souls here, and the glory of your souls forever and ever!

May God add His blessing and bring many of His bondaged ones out of
prison! This shall be to His eternal praise! Amen.

EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON: LUKE 13:1-13.

Verse 1. There were present at that season some that told Him of the
Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. This
was a matter of common town talk, so of course they brought the news to
Jesus. Notice how wisely He used this shameful incident. You and I too
often hear the news of what is happening, but we learn nothing from
it–our Savior's gracious mind turned everything to good account–He
was like the bee that gathers honey from every flower.

2. And Jesus answering said to them, Do you suppose that these
Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered
such things?'"Do you imagine that there was some extraordinary guilt
which brought this judgment upon them, and that those who were spared
may be supposed to have been more innocent than they were?"

3. I tell you, No, but except you repent, you shall all likewise
perish. There would come upon them, also, because of their sin, a
sudden and overwhelming calamity. When we read of the most dreadful
things happening to men, we may conclude that something similar will
happen to us if we are impenitent–if not in this world, yet in that
which is to come!

4. 5. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell and slew
them, do you think that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in
Jerusalem? I tell you, No, but, except you repent, you shall all
likewise perish^. [See Sermon #408,

Volume 7–ACCIDENTS, NOT PUNISHMENTS.] This was a foreshadowing

of the overthrow of Jerusalem and the razing of its walls and towers to
the ground which happened not long after. And even that overthrow of
Jerusalem was but a rehearsal of the tremendous doom that shall come
upon all who remain impenitent.

6. He spoke also this parable: A certain man had a fig tree planted in
his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.He
had a right to seek fruit upon the tree, for it was planted where
fruit-bearing trees were growing and where it shared in the general
culture that was bestowed upon all the trees in the vineyard.

7. Then he said to the dresser of the vineyard, Behold, these three
years I have been seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it
down; why let it cumber the ground?This was sound reasoning. "It yields
nothing, though it draws the goodness out of the ground and so injures
those trees that are producing fruit–'cut it down; why let it cumber
the

ground?'"

8-9. And he answering said unto him, Sir, let it alone this year, also,
till I shall dig about it, and fertilize it: and if it bears fruit,
well: and ifnot, then after that you shall cut it down. [See Sermons
#650, Volume 11–judgment threatening but mercy

SPARING and #1451-A, Volume 25–"THIS YEAR ALSO."] He asks for a
respite,

but only a limited one. "After that, you shall cut it down." If, after
the trial of another year, it shall still be fruitless, then even the
pleader will not ask for any further respite.

10, 11. And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.
And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen
years, and was bent over, and could in no way straighten herself If she
was there when Christ

was speaking about the fruitless fig tree, I feel pretty certain that
she said "That must mean me. I am the fruitless fig tree." But the
Master did not mean her–He had other words and more cheering tidings
for her!

12. And when Jesus sawher, He calledher to Him, andsaid unto her,
Woman, you are loosened from your infirmity. Oh, what glad news this
must have been to her! How it must have thrilled her whole body! As she
learned that she was to be restored to an upright position, what
delight must have filled her heart!

13. And He laid His hands on her: and immediately she was made
straight, and glorified God. What expressions of fervent gratitude!
What notes of glad exultation came from that woman's joyful lips!
Surely even cherubim and seraphim could not more heartily and earnestly
praise God than she did when "she was made straight and glorified God."