All His Adversaries

We worshipped with the church at Elgin Hills last Sunday, and part of our study was in the book of Luke:

Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him. — Luke 13:10–17 (NKJV)

Something hit me as we read that passage. All His adversaries. It occurs to me that not all His adversaries were in the room, per se. Yes, there was the hypocritical ruler of the synagogue. Some Pharisees were probably in the room, too. But was there anyone else in view here?

The Greek word we translate “Satan” is literally “adversary.” The devil was among those adversaries put to shame that day. Jesus even made a point of saying that it was Satan who had bound this woman for eighteen years. Yet Jesus Christ, in but a moment, with a word and the touch of His hands, loosed the bond that Satan had had over this woman for nearly two decades. Put to shame indeed!