e-vo for week of August 21

Dearest e-votees-

This week we are reminded that Jesus and his healing ministry trump narrow interpretations of the law and of the Sabbath.

Thanks be to God for that.

Peace,
Karl

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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.

Luke 13:10-17, NRSV

Imagine being hunched over for a week. How difficult would it be to function? To go about your business? To go about your life without people making comments? To be part of community when you are "quite unable to stand up straight" let alone look anyone straight in the eye.

Can you wrap your head around the difficulty you might experience? How about the pain? What about the shame?

Now expand that time to a month.

Now a year.

Now eighteen years.

Now imagine going to worship after enduring this situation for those long, long 18 years. As you arrive you hear that there is an itinerant rabbi attending today. As you come in to take your usual place the visiting rabbi calls out to you. He calls you over and says to you "Woman, you are set free from your ailment." He then touches you and you stand up straight immediately with no difficulty or pain. You are completely cured and you can't help but praise God.

But, rather than rejoice with you the leader of the synagogue seems upset. He berates Jesus for healing, for doing work, on the Sabbath.

Jesus becomes upset as well. Jesus calls out all who are there, not just the leader, calling them hypocrites and points out that they care more for their animals when they thirst than for this "daughter of Abraham" and her 18 long, long years of suffering.

It seems that bringing freedom and healing trumps the strict adherence to the laws and traditions of the religious folks. What freedom and/or healing might you disdain in order to preserve your understanding of God's law? What acts of deliverance might you disdain were they to cross your traditions and forms of worship and reverence?

Who are those who have been suffering a long, long time in our midst? How might we bring the healing and liberating power of the gospel to bear in their lives?


God, help us to hear this gospel text with new ears this Sunday. As we spend time with you during Sabbath help us be ever so mindful of those long-suffering sons and daughters of Abraham in our midst and in our community. Amen.