Luke #36: Luke 13:22-35

Hyper focused on something… don’t even see the rest.

It happens all the time at our house. Michelle will be talking to me I think… I look up and she’s just looking back at me smiling. She’ll say “You didn't even hear me did you?”

At that moment I could tell the truth, that I heard some noise...

An Infirmed Woman

An Indignant Leader

An Infected Church

It’s been several years. The days have begun to just run from one to the next. But you remember when it happened. That day you were a young woman with hope for a dashing husband and a family.

But then that day when everything changed. You aren’t sure what happened, but ever since your back has continued to be a source of pain for you. You can’t even stand up straight. Forced to walk around bowing over. To see who is talking to you, you have to turn sideways in order to turn your head. It’s sort of a blessing you guess, at least you can’t see the looks on people’s faces when they see you coming… who are you kidding, no one pays any attention to you. It’s like you aren’t even in the room.

But with any luck, things might change. You’ve heard that Jesus is coming through town. There are stories of him healing people of all sorts of ailments and disease. Some folks have said he has even raised people from the dead. Surely he can help you.

He always goes to the synagogue, especially on the Sabbath. Maybe you can find out where they are staying and get over there before they leave town.

Luke 13:10–13 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. 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.

A Disabled Woman

came to worship… hoping, but not expecting anything… hoping, but also resolved that this is her life, broken, tired, overlooked, ignored… what she encountered though was grace. Jesus was moved with compassion, he touched her. Not because he had to, but he wanted to, he wanted to ease her suffering… That's the way God works, grace…

Grace doesn’t have to but grace does

Imagine the dramatic change experienced by this woman. After eighteen years she was able to look into the face other people. After 18 years she no longer had pain. This one who was resigned to live faithfully with her disability was now set free to live without it. Is it any wonder that she began to praise God?

Let’s draw an application. Are you in need of straightening today? Does something have you tied up so that you are unable to function? Are you in need of someone who will truly see you and know you so well that He can straighten you out? Whatever your bondage the message today is this: Jesus SEES you. He understands what is going on in your life. Others may look past you, may push you aside or may be fooled by the person you pretend to be. Jesus sees the truth. As He was willing to help this woman, so He is willing to help you. If you will honor Him as God, if you will seek Him, He will embrace you and bring real change in your heart and life.

This isn’t how the synagogue leader had planned the worship service. How dare this man Jesus do things that aren’t scheduled for the Sabbath.

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.”

An Indignant Leader

You can see him with his rule book in his hand right? This isn’t allowed on the Sabbath!

But notice what he did. He didn’t call out Jesus. He couldn’t do such a thing. Instead, He called out the people for coming to be healed

Jesus honored the Sabbath, no matter where he was you find him in worship on the Sabbath. So he could sympathize with the synagogue leader, but there was a lesson here and Jesus couldn't let the moment pass.

Jesus, could have let it pass. She had been healed after all. He had shown them them what Grace looked like, but he needed to be clear.

He needed to make sure they understood the problem with what the leader was demanding:

Luke 13:15–17 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? 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?” 17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

Jesus reminds them all of a simple reality, something everyone could understand as he made this lesser to greater comparison.

Everyone knew the truth of this immediately - which is why everyone cheered

The Sabbath was a gift from God for his people to rest from their work. It was to be a day of revival. But for the leader, it was a day to be protected, a day filled with laws on what you could and could not do. And performing medical procedures… which healing was obviously one… was not allowed.

This illustrates a truth that you and I know very well:

It’s much easier to make a point than to make a difference.

Jesus knows it as well

Luke 13:18–21 ESV

18 He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.” 20 And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”

An Infected Church

I believe that one reason why the church of God at this present time has so little influence over the world is because the world has so much influence over the church. Spurgeon

Are you loving the needy like Jesus?

Are you living in a religious bubble of hypocrisy?

As a church, how are we welcoming people in need?

What marks your life - worldly or Godly influences?