48: Freedom brings Thanksgiving (Luke 13:10-21)

BIG TRUTH: Freedom brings Thanksgiving!BIG TRUTH: Freedom brings Thanksgiving!BIG TRUTH: Freedom brings Thanksgiving!BIG TRUTH: Freedom brings Thanksgiving! Those who have been set free can't keep quiet about such a great gift. Today we meet a woman set free by Jesus and we will be reminded that Freedom brings Thanksgiving. PRAY.

BIG TRUTH: Freedom brings Thanksgiving!

Luke 13:10–11 (NIV)

10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.

This is the last time in Luke's Gospel that Jesus appears in a synagogue as He is headed to the cross in Jerusalem. Here Dr. Luke spotlights one woman who is there on the day that Jesus was teaching. This lady’s condition was both physical and spiritual - that is - the physical condition was brought about by a spiritual force. Contrary to what many prosperity preachers say, sickness is not always brought about by a spirit or demon, but this WAS the case here.

Kent Hughes theorizes that: She lived in a posture of forced humility, her face always toward the dust of the earth, unless she wrenched sideways and peered upward like an awkward animal. She seemed to sink lower and lower as the weight of years pressed upon her. Her gait was a lunging shuffle.

But she wouldn’t let that keep her from attending the synagogue gathering. In reading through Charles Spurgeon’s teaching on this text, he made an interesting observation:

“I am afraid that, if any one of you had been in such a sad state as that, you would have said, “I shall never go to the synagogue any more;” and that your friends would have said, “We think you had better not go. You are such an object, and you are so unwell, that you will be best at home. You can read a good book there, and you can worship God just as acceptably in your own parlour as you can by going up to the public assembly of his people.” I am also afraid that there are some here [says Spurgeon], who would have felt that they could be excused for a much lighter affliction than that poor woman suffered from, for I have known some, who could not come out to the service if it happened to be wet, though they went to business on wet days.

But She showed up to synagogue, and…

Luke 13:12-13 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

This is one of the few cases where a person didn’t ask Jesus for healing. Instead, Jesus simply showed compassion for her as the crowd watched Jesus place His gentle hands on this feeble hunched-back woman and speak the powerful words, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.”

I can imagine that the crowd gasped as this woman straightened to her full height - graceful and and head held high…and she began to praise God! We don’t know how she did that. I imagine she shouted praises and was maybe danced with joy…for the first time in 18 years! How WONDERFUL that sight would have been! We would have seen with our own eyes, that…

BIG TRUTH: Freedom brings Thanksgiving!BIG TRUTH: Freedom brings Thanksgiving!BIG TRUTH: Freedom brings Thanksgiving!BIG TRUTH: Freedom brings Thanksgiving!

BIG TRUTH: Freedom brings Thanksgiving!

As most of your eyes filled with tears as you watched Kassidy’s story & baptism [show clip at 8:30]. Why? because Freedom brings Thanksgiving! When we see HER joy & hope. When we watch her in the arms of her father & watch him tenderly baptize her…we are thankful too! I am grateful for a church that cheers life-change!

But…can you imagine someone having the audacity to stand up RIGHT AFTER Kassidy was baptized and saying - “Wait a second.. You did it wrong. The pastor should have baptized her. You have dishonored God.” What might YOU have said to that!? I call tell you what I might have said, “Listen here Doug or Debbie Downer, Kassidy’s baptism by her Dad SO blessed God & others and unless can prove otherwise from the Scripture, you need to keep your discouraging words to yourself!”

That’s sort of what happened next in our story. Jesus changed a woman’s life & someone said, “You did it wrong. You dishonored God.”…

Luke 13:14 (NIV)

14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

REALLY? This man was offended and angry. WHY? Because Jesus did it wrong. According to him, Jesus has offended God and should have waited until the next day.

So if this hunch-back woman were YOU'RE mother... would you think her healing had offended God OR would you have praised Him?

Kent Hughes puts it well: “What a slab of ecclesiastical granite! He had no heart to pity the poor bent woman’s plight, no eye for the beauty of Christ’s compassion, no soul to rejoice with the woman’s deliverance, no ear for the music of her praise.”

People watching were in a bind, either:

God DID heal on the Sabbath & this synagogue ruler was wrong, OR

Jesus healed her by the power of Satan.

Here's jesus take:

Luke 13:15 (NIV)

15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?

Jesus’ argument is brilliant - of course - He is God in skin - so He has the upper hand in the debate. Jesus argues that since most people would untie their animals and take care of them…on the Sabbath…

16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

In other words, PEOPLE are more important than animals - yet you treat your animals better than you treat this WOMAN! “So…I’ll tell you what - mister synagogue leader - You loose your ox & donkey take care of their needs…and I’ll loose this woman and take care of HER needs.”

17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

Why were these people delighted? Because Jesus was setting people free…and…

BIG TRUTH: Freedom brings Thanksgiving!BIG TRUTH: Freedom brings Thanksgiving!BIG TRUTH: Freedom brings Thanksgiving!BIG TRUTH: Freedom brings Thanksgiving!

BIG TRUTH: Freedom brings Thanksgiving!

THAT’S why we invest in children, teenagers, & adults.

THAT’S why we give of our time, talents, & treasure to further the Kingdom.

THAT’S why we care for individuals that others don’t consider to be very valuable - just like many probably viewed this hunch-backed woman.

We are excited about the things that excite the heart of God! We are addicted to changed lives! And we are THRILLED when people recognize that the Story of Jesus is worthy of their lives.

So for us, Thanksgiving is more than a calendar date, a family gathering, or a belly-filling meal. For us…Freedom brings Thanksgiving! And every time WE remember how Jesus set US free - we praise Him - we THANK Him. Every time we see Him FREE ANOTHER - we give Him thanks!

So now 2000 years since Jesus healed that woman in a Jewish synagogue, the kingdom of Jesus has grown 1 person at a time - as thousands & thousands have heard His message, bowed their knees, & found freedom from their sins in HIM.

But during Jesus’ day, many would-be-messiahs made huge claims that were never fulfilled. Some wondered how long this ‘Jesus movement’ would last. So before Jesus leaves the synagogue, He shares 2 parables to explain what is coming in His Kingdom.

Luke 13:18–19 (NIV)

18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”

The kingdom of God that Jesus preaches might be small now, something that synagogue rulers speak against, but it is going to grow and impact many others in the future.

Luke 13:20-21 20 Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

The NIV guestimates the Greek word to be equivalent to 60lbs. The Holman Christian Standard says it’s 50 lbs. Either way, does 50-60 pounds of flour make a BIG BISCUIT? Um…yes!

Yet that HUGE amount of flour is influenced by a relatively small amount of yeast. So too, the kingdom of God will permeate communities and cultures, and those who try to stop the Kingdom will not succeed!

Now, HOW is THAT so? Here’s why. People who have been forgiven won’t stay silent. A synagogue ruler couldn’t keep this woman from praising God…and persecution wouldn’t snuff out their passion either. When the apostles of Jesus were put on trial and commanded to stop talking about Jesus (Acts 4:18–20) they responded with these words:

Acts 4:19–20 (NIV)

19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

You see, followers of Jesus can’t be silent because…

BIG TRUTH: Freedom brings Thanksgiving!BIG TRUTH: Freedom brings Thanksgiving!BIG TRUTH: Freedom brings Thanksgiving!BIG TRUTH: Freedom brings Thanksgiving!

BIG TRUTH: Freedom brings Thanksgiving!

And still, the Kingdom of God grows - permeating and penetrating communities & cultures all over the world! At Fellowship, we are praying and providing for missionaries to send out to places we will likely never touch foot on, to share the message of Jesus.

Indeed, this was the heartbeat of Lottie Moon Christmas Offering that is coming up. Watch this video & will finish with a couple of Feet2Faith Challenges for this week. This video will feature IMB (International Mission Board missionaries provided for the giving of Southern Baptist churches like ours).

One Sacred Effort

I want you to read about Lottie Moon and how God used her to challenge others to take the message of Jesus around the world & make disciples of all nations. Then I want to challenge you to GIVE a special offering - above what you give to Fellowship - by Dec. 21 I pray we can collect $5,000 to send to IMB Missionaries through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. $5,000 is one-tenth of what it takes to provide for the average IMB missionary for 1 year - anything over that we are going to give to Clint & Crysti Handfield to get them to Ethiopia. You can give that online to ‘Lottie Moon Christmas Offering’ OR you can write Lottie Moon on your check and place in the lock boxes.

Here’s what that looks like ONLINE: (3 slides) Go to Fellowshipofmadison.com…

Fellowship

Love Your Neighbor (bless the Dyal family)

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering

_____________

Finally,

Feet2Faith Challenges:

Share your story of Freedom with another.’ If you don’t HAVE a story yet…you have questions & need help? We want to talk with you more about Jesus. If you are willing, our numbers are on the screen.

I want to encourage you to celebrate communion during your Thanksgiving Day meal. If that’s not possible, then take some time to take the bread & juice with your family or a believing friend, and have communion together.

PRAY We will sing and go live out what we’ve talked about.

*TJ taught week 49

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