Luke 4:18-19 - “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted,”

The word “brokenhearted” in this verse is from the Greek word “tethrasamenous,” it depicts a person who has been shattered or fractured in life - a picture of those whose lives have been continually split up and fragmented.

This word could describe those with shattered emotions as an aftermath of the broken relationships. Jesus said that He came to “heal” the brokenhearted!

The word heal is the Greek word “aphiesi,” which means to set free or to loosen from the detrimental effects of a shattered life. In the King James Version, it is translated to “heal,” but the Greek speaks of a release from the destructive effects of brokenness.

The “brokenhearted” is weakened, crushed, or destroyed in spirit. The term describes those who feel spiritually bankrupted, needy, and helpless. They yearn for the Lord’s comfort and salvation. The verb translated as “bind up” in the original language means “to inspire with confidence, give hope and courage to, to encourage, to bandage, to dress by covering, wrapping, or binding.”

In Isaiah 61:1 and Luke 4:18, the message is spiritual restoration and healing. A physician would “bind up” a wounded arm just as Jesus would bandage a wounded spirit. Brokenhearted people—the spiritually ruined are in the right condition to be met and helped by God (Psalm 51:17). David says in Psalm 34:18-The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Christ understands what it means to be brokenhearted for “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. (Isaiah 53:3-5)

Some of us are brokenhearted because we’ve fallen back into sin. Maybe we have failed in our Christian walk, we have compromised our conviction and allowed our hearts to grow cold, weary, and indifferent. The one solution is to return to the Lord and ask His forgiveness: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9)

That’s what King David did after he sinned with Bathsheba. He felt broken, crushed, unclean, and in need of renewal from within. He begged God to purge him thoroughly: “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

[8] Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

[9] Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

[10] Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

[11] Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

[12] Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” (Psalm 51:7-12)

King David realized that no kind of sacrifice could atone for His sin: “For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.

[17] The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalm 51:16-17)

Conclusion:

God’s saving grace is enough to heal the broken-hearted. But there are numerous Christians who know the Lord but are unable to overcome their brokenness because of sin, wrong decisions, and, some because of their predisposition to emotional and mental illness.

They no longer need salvation. What they need is healing from broken spirit brought about by traumatic experiences from abuses in the past. They need to be unstuck from the past to experience restoration and forgiveness.