Isaiah 58:
9b-14; Luke 13: 10-17
Today we have a story of Jesus healing a
woman, and having a dispute with the leader of the synagogue about the timing
of the healing. By now, Jesus is well-known, and he gets invited to teach and
preach in synagogues along the way as he travels to Jerusalem.
This time, he is teaching on the Sabbath, a time
when one’s focus is to be on God. Sabbath rules varied slightly from town to
town, but were intended to give all a time of rest from work. Servants and
employees got one day off a week. Food was prepared and set out for the Sabbath
day meals. No work is to be done, other than the care of one’s animals.
Emergency medical aid was permitted, but for chronic conditions, healing must
wait until after the Sabbath.
Jesus knows this rule, and he intentionally ignores
it. As he is teaching, he notices a woman who is badly bent over. He knows, or
discovers, that she has been this way for 18 years.
For all that time, she has not been able to see the
sky, look people in the eye, or stand upright and praise the Lord. Jesus calls
to her and she comes to him. He says simply, “You are set free, healed from
your ailment.” He touches her, and immediately she stands up straight and
begins praising God. Now, she can look Jesus and everyone else in the eye, she
can see the world around her, she can raise her hands in praise to God. She
once was bowed down, but now Jesus has lifted her up.
While others may be rejoicing with the woman, the
leader of the synagogue is not so happy. He knows this woman, and knows that
her ailment is not sudden nor life-threatening. She can live one more day as
she is and be healed the next day. Apparently a lot of people have been asking
for healing, because the leader yells at the folks inside the synagogue and the
crowd listening outside the door as well. “Come tomorrow to be healed! Today is
a day for worshiping God.”
Jesus objects. “Do you not care for your animals on
the Sabbath, taking them to water and feeding them? Is this woman not a
daughter of Abraham? Does she not deserve the same care from God as all of you,
who are sons of Abraham? You have all been set free from your bondage by Moses,
and so has she, finally, after 18 long years.”
The crowd begins to shout at the leader, “He’s right!
We should be praising God because of this healing instead of shouting about
rules.” We don’t know if the leader was changed by this event, but we remember
it as a reminder that God cares more about us, God’s children, than God cares
about rules.
God wants all who are bowed down to be healed.
Sometimes our bowing down is physical, as it was for the woman in the gospel. We
have a serious disease, or someone we love is ill. Sometimes, it is something
else: fear, grief, depression, anger, addiction, oppression, an inability to
forgive.
Bowing down can be the consequences of our mistakes
catching up with us. We are in a real prison, or in a virtual prison. At these
times, we know we need help; we know we need healing; we know we need to be
lifted up. We know we need Jesus to heal us. Jesus comes to us in many ways, reaching out to heal
us and lift us up.
He comes to us in the oil of anointing, holding his hands on
our heads, and telling us we have been set free and healed of our ailments. As
you come forward in a few minutes, feel Jesus touch you as the oil cross is
made on your forehead. Hear the words intended to bring healing to your body,
your spirit, your heart. Be lifted up.
Jesus comes to us in the bread and wine of Holy
Communion. I like to imagine the piece of bread and the swallow of wine being
consumed and spread throughout our bodies. We need a chunk of Jesus to chew on,
so his gift of life and love and mercy can flow through us and bring us
healing. As you come forward for Holy Communion, feel Jesus filling you with
healing and love. Be lifted up.
Whatever is going on in our lives, Jesus is with us,
never absent from us. His Spirit joins us in prayer, in praise, in laughter,
and in tears. We can imagine Jesus sitting in the chair next to us as we pour
out our heart to him. We can also imagine Jesus reaching out his hands to touch
us, to heal us. We can imagine Jesus lifting us up.
Lifting up also happens in many ways. Someone calls
to say they care about us. Doctors figure out how to heal us. We suddenly
believe Jesus has answered a prayer.
And here is another way to be lifted up. Did you see
this on TV? Abbey D’Agostino, an American runner, and Nikki Hamblin, from New
Zealand, were competing in the 5,000 meter race. The runners tripped and fell
over each other. Abbey helped Nikki get up, but it turns out Abbey was
seriously injured, and fell to the ground again. Nikki could have left Abbey on
the ground and run to finish the race, but she didn’t. Instead, she helped
Abbey up again.
Abbey had sustained damaged ligaments in her knee,
and she has no idea how she managed to finish the 4 ½ laps in the race. She
calls it a miracle, saying she prayed her way through it. She will learn when
she gets home to the US if she needs surgery.
Nikki has received lots of praise for what she did,
with people everywhere acclaiming her for displaying the Olympic Spirit. As she
lifted up Abbey, the world has been lifted up to witness these competitors take
the time to help one another.
Whatever is going on in your life, Jesus is with
you, reaching out to you, wanting to heal you and lift you up. In response, in
gratitude, you can lift your hands in praise.
Please pray with me. Jesus, our Healer, we present
ourselves to you. Touch us, touch our wounds, touch our hearts, and heal us.
Lift us up to praise you. In your holy name. Amen
