Released From Bondage.

In this past Sunday's scripture we find Jesus in the middle of one of six Sabbath incidents in the Gospel of Luke and one of four (the third in number) healings that he conducts on the Sabbath.  This incident of healing takes place in a Synagogue just as the healing of the man with the withered hand does in Chapter Six; and just as in that healing, here Jesus is obviously confrontational to the scribes and leaders.  In neither case does the crippled individual ask or even indicate that they have come hoping for a healing.  It seems that they have merely come to worship their God, but Jesus has other things in mind.

Let's first read the healing of the man with the withered hand found at Luke 6:6-11:

Luke 6:6-11
6 On another sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. 7 The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. 8 Even though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” He got up and stood there. 9 Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?” 10 After looking around at all of them, he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was restored. 11 But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Now let's consider healing of the woman in Luke 13:10-17:

Luke 13: 10-17

10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11 And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” 13 When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. 14 But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.” 15 But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?” 17 When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

One of the really interesting things about these verses is how weak initially Jesus' counter argument seems to be.  The Synagogue leader is certainly correct, there are six days when you can come for healing, you don't need to do so on the Sabbath day.  Jesus' argument about taking an animal for water is extremely flawed in that of course, the animal needs water daily, but this woman (and the man in Chapter 6 as well) has suffered this condition for years, there is no hurry and Jesus could have clearly waited for nightfall to do any healing.

Rather than re-address this and the other points that I made in the sermon here in text, I'll rather guide you all to the video of the sermon.  There was no manuscript or notes for the sermon, it was all ad lib.  It's not a particularly long sermon at only 13 minutes of length.

It's a bit of a hectic week and I will be out of hand on Thursday this week as I will be getting the last of the things from the house in Omaha that day.  We are taking a group of people from Woodlawn to the 'Regional All Congregational Gathering' in Newton on Saturday so my days off this week have been adjusted accordingly.

I need to run for now so I'll just close with this prayer believed to have been written by St. Francis of Assisi:

Be a blessing to someone today.

In His Grace and Love,
Roy

Peace Prayer - attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, union;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console:
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love:
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to
eternal life.
Amen.