Refining Grace

A crippled woman came to worship God.

In the Lukan passage, we come upon a simple story of a woman who was worshipping in the same synagogue as Jesus. She had a physically crippling condition.

Her condition kept her from standing straight up for eighteen years, not unlike what some experience today from the effects of various diseases.

Her quality of life must have been affected.

She had no choice but to approach with humility.

One could imagine that this woman could not rest properly until she found healing.

Jesus described her condition as bondage of Satan, an evil affliction of which the priests did not or could not save her from.

When Jesus saw her, he had compassion for her.

He laid his hands on her and set her free from the condition.

Jealous, the leader of the synagogue condemned the woman for seeking healing on the Sabbath day.

No wonder Jesus called the synagogue leaders hypocrites.

The Sabbath day, the day of rest, was the one day meant most for this purpose.

The synagogue leaders were afraid and jealous of Jesus’ power to heal this woman.

Paul also described the fearful condition under which the Israelites lived in his letter.

Paul referred to things which provoked the senses, most likely, God’s appearance at Mount Sinai.

He speaks of blazing fire, darkness and gloom, a tempest, sound like a trumpet, and a voice from heaven.

They experienced these things as both awesome and humbling, inciting fear.

Even Moses, their requested mediator, fully admitted, “I tremble in fear and wore a veil over his head.

That day they trembled with fear and the earth shook around them as God spoke with Moses.

Yet, when Moses had came down from the mountain with the words of God, most refused to listen.

The covenant promise of God assured them of salvation because of their obedience,

BUT it was also heard as a warning for the disobedient.

When we experience a terrifying event in nature, we often call it an “Act of God.”

This experience can often be described a similar way as Paul described in the letter to the Hebrews.

They make us “tremble in fear,” like with Moses climbing up a mountain enveloped in a dark and gloomy storm with “blazing fire.”

In that moment, so much raw power is on display that it makes us fearful.

We might feel our own helplessness, like the woman trying to attend synagogue, yet bound by her infirmity.

Or we might be paralyzed by fear because we are experiencing something beyond the ordinary.

ie. major storm or lightning strikes near us.

When we recognize our lowly state with humility, we don’t refuse the person sent to help us.

Jesus saw the woman in the synagogue.

He was there that day in the synagogue to free her on that Sabbath day.

Jesus recognized the woman’s humble heart, pleading for healing.

Jesus also heard the synagogue leaders.

He was there to purify their corrupted hearts.

They wouldn’t let the woman receive healing on the Sabbath, but they would lead their donkeys to drink.

Jesus recognized their hypocrisy for what it was.

There were two mountains presented in the Hebrew text, Mount Sinai and Mount Zion.

Mount Sinai was a place filled with fire and shaking, great noise and warnings.

Mount Zion is a place where there is fire and shaking, but also singing in the streets and countless angels beautifully arrayed.

Mount Sinai was a place that incited fear and obligation for some, while others looked beyond it to the faithful one who sustained his people.

Mount Zion was a place of anger and violence for some, while other looked beyond it to the faithful one who died and was resurrected for everyone’s sake.

Mount Sinai was the place where the old covenant was given from faithful God to his servant people.

Mount Zion is the place of the new covenant for God’s children.

Zion is a spiritual place where God’s kingdom reigns, the new Jerusalem, those perfected through Jesus Christ.

Those who inhabit the New Jerusalem followed God’s warning to rid themselves of evil.

Zion is the place where God is joyfully revered with awe in worship by angels and his people.

When we gather to worship God today, it is a foretaste of living in God’s eternal presence.

Coming before God in humble thanks, and we receive God’s purifying grace.

When we come before God in worship with reverence and awe, as we reject sin and evil, God’s Spirit works to perfect us in love.

None of this would have happened without Jesus Christ opening the way through the cross.

Grace was not given for us to horde the blessings of God for ourselves but that the whole world might know him.

God’s presence is where we find freedom and healing.

One Glorious day we will be called and made whole in God’s eternal presence.