Welcome back to Prepared Hearts, our online lectionary based
Bible study. This week’s texts include: Jeremiah 1:4-10, Psalm 71:1-6, Hebrews
12:18-29, and Luke 13:10-17. I’ll be preaching from Luke this Sunday. The text
is below, followed by some starter thoughts.
Luke 13:10-17 (NRSV)
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.
STARTER THOUGHTS
This isn’t the first or last time that Jesus heals on the
Sabbath and catches flak for it, but it’s one of my favorites. As someone who
has worked to end violence against women, I love the fact that Jesus was ahead
of his time in recognizing that women were and are equal participants in God’s
Kingdom. The woman in this story goes from being bent over to standing tall.
Jesus transfers the shame she suffered into honor and bestows on her the title
“daughter of Abraham.” The radical nature of Jesus’ treatment of women must be
noted when we read this text. However, this radical acceptance of those who are
seen as shameful, outcast, or “less than” by the larger society is normative
for Jesus. Who are those in our society today that Jesus would call out to?
Which persons or groups of people continue to be shamed? How can we, like
Jesus, raise them up to places of honor?
The importance of honor and shame in the society in which
Jesus lived cannot be overstated. Honor, much like material wealth today, was a
rigorously sought and highly guarded commodity. Shame, once laid upon an
individual or family was devastating. While we still have the concepts of honor
and shame today, we don’t live by the same kind of strict honor code that
existed in Jesus’ lifetime. The fact that Jesus lifts up the bent over woman to
a place of honor and shames all of his opponents is a huge reversal in the status
quo. Do modern day followers of Jesus still attempt to make these kinds of radical
changes to the status quo? If so, where do you see this happening? If no, what
do you think hinders us?
This Sunday we will be having a healing service. There will be anointing
with oil and laying on of hands for anyone who is interested. What has been
your experience of God’s healing? What areas of your life continue to stand in
need of God’s healing touch?
Whenever I read the stories about Jesus healing on the
Sabbath, I’m reminded of something a friend of mine once asked me when I was
going through a bitter dispute with a family member. She asked, “Would you
rather be right or be kind?” Technically, the leader of the synagogue was
right. The woman could have come any of the six other days of the week to be
cured. However, Jesus was more concerned about showing grace and mercy than
following the rules. Are there rules you absolutely don’t break? How do you
respond to others when they break these rules? Are there times when you find it
easier to be right than kind?
I look forward to hearing your thoughts and reflections.
Feel free to email me directly or post a comment here.
Peace,
Pastor Amee
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