Rest, Worship, & Healing

Not too long ago I got a haircut by this barber who lived in Russia but mentioned he was a practicing Jew. Not all Jews follow the same laws. There is a bit of diversity in what they believe and the laws they practice but what this man told me was very impressive.

When time came for the Sabbath day, which is Friday sundown to Saturday sundown, he would turn off his phone, technology, and rest.

In the morning he would go to the synagogue not by car, but walking in the morning with his family, rain, shine, hot or cold.

Although we share different beliefs, for some reason I was very fascinated by these practices they have and the importance they place on Rest on the Day of the Lord.

Now today’s Gospel reading shows there was a time when the people of God were completely missing the point of the Day of the Lord.

This day is established by God for us human beings to rest from our toils, our burdens, our work, and to begin our week dedicating it to the worship of God.

Now, Jesus was confronted on the Sabbath day with a woman with an infirmity or sickness which caused her to be bent over and couldn’t straighten her back for 18 years.

The gospel doesn’t really make it clear whether this is a spiritual condition or a purely physical condition.

But you can only imagine the burden this woman carries. That for 18 years her back not being able to be fully straightened, has a completely different vantage point of the world.

Most of what she has readily available to her sight is only what is below her. There can be a lot of beauty below us, but to have hope, to be inspired, to have faith/trust, we’re usually called to look up.

This is where you can imagine that the sickness she carried physically most definitely affected her spiritually.

And even vice versa. Our spiritual/internal sicknesses or wounds can even affect our physical well being.

In healing one you can speed up the healing of the other.

But Jesus, on the Sabbath, the Lord’s Day, where they are called to rest and worship, performs an act of healing on this woman.

First, he sees her.

Then, he calls her over.

Finally, he speaks words to free her from her pain.

So what about you and me. Many of us know we are seen by Jesus but we are hiding. Jesus is so ready to his part. So he too will CALL you over and you have to BRING yourself to him so he can pronounce his healing to you.

For most of us, this won’t happen in an instant.

I don’t know when it will happen, but from the looks of this Gospel, I can almost guarantee you I know when it will be begin. That day, is the Sunday, the Lord’s Day.

To bring this all home, take a look at what this woman did on the Sabbath when she was healed? She praised God.

So my friends, Rest, Worship, & Healing are connected!

We stop and rest SO we can worship, pray, and be in the presence of God.

May we always remember to Keep Holy the Lord’s day. And understand God made this FOR US.

This time we are able to do that God can loosen the things we are bound to and give us freedom to be able to worship, to love, and to see this world and life he has put us in with restored confidence, hope, and faith.