Come and Be Healed

Common English Bible Chapter 13

10 Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 A woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and couldn’t stand up straight. 12 When he saw her, Jesus called her to him and said, “Woman, you are set free from your sickness.” 13 He placed his hands on her and she straightened up at once and praised God.

14 The synagogue leader, incensed that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, responded, “There are six days during which work is permitted. Come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath day.”

15 The Lord replied, “Hypocrites! Don’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from its stall and lead it out to get a drink? 16 Then isn’t it necessary that this woman, a daughter of Abraham, bound by Satan for eighteen long years, be set free from her bondage on the Sabbath day?” 17 When he said these things, all his opponents were put to shame, but all those in the crowd rejoiced at all the extraordinary things he was doing.

Introduction- Rainbows

It’s really good to be home!

I think most of you know that we were down with COVID for a bit as a family.

Not the best, but definitely not the worst either.

That said, I am the absolute master of the Man Cold, so I was laid up in bed for a few days.

While I was down, there was this remarkable streak of rainbows that happened in the sky just opposite our house.

I mean, look at these!

I am so very glad that Sarah and the boys saw these!

I even drug myself out of bed a couple of times to check them out in person.

But imagine that I had just stayed in bed.

The only thing I had been looking at for a week was the green walls of our bedroom and a never ending stream of Marvel Reruns.

Pretty remarkable what you might miss when your perspective is limited, huh?

Bible Breakdown

There are lots of weird rules around the Sabbath.

This story takes place on the Sabbath.

We might not think much of that, because we as a society have largely lost the importance of Sabbath, notable exceptions of Chick-Fil-A and Hobby Lobby.

You weren’t supposed to do any work at all on the Sabbath.

But then like a teenager who is testing their parents boundaries, the people of Isreal started asking questions.

What do you mean by work?

Let’s say I’m really in to bicycling. For you that might be work, but for me, that’s a lot of fun!

So they started making all these rules around the Sabbath, what you could and could not do, what was and was not considered work.

And to say they lost the spirit of the Sabbath would be an understatement.

They made so many rules about not working that they were essentially always working to make sure that no one was working on the Sabbath.

And it’s in this environment, on the Sabbath, that Jesus notices a woman in the crowd.

This is an interesting woman

She’s bent over.

The text ascribes this to a “spirit” that disables her, but this affliction is something we see in folks even today.

She’s been like this for 18 years.

Imagine the perspective shift that would have held her to.

Her view would have been mostly of the ground beneath her feet.

She wouldn’t have looked anyone in the eyes.

It’s unlikely that, unless they made a special effort, anyone would have looked her in the eyes.

What a difficult life she would have had!

She probably would have missed a lot of rainbows.

She never asks to be healed.

This is absolutely vital to our understanding both of this woman, and the way Jesus works.

She is not out there “playing the victim.”

She is not making a big scene about her situation.

She is not one of those “woe is me” kind of people that our world knows all too well.

She’s just kind of resigned to the perspective she has.

If you were dealing with an affliction like this for 18 years, don’t you think you would have kind of given up too?

Instead of seeking healing, you just learn how to deal with it.

Instead of dreaming for a more hopeful future, you just settle for what you have.

Instead of making progress, you’re just content with where you are.

Even though she never asks, Jesus decides to heal her anyway.

Jesus doesn’t need her to ask.

She doesn’t have to offer the “right” kind of prayer.

She doesn’t have to say the right kinds of words.

She doesn’t need to do the right kinds of things.

She doesn’t need to put any money in the offering plate.

Jesus has just decided on his own to offer healing.

And the same is true for you and me here and now.

We don’t have to be the right kind of people to accept Jesus’ mercy in our lives.

We don’t have to say a specific prayer a specific way to find the healing of Christ.

We don’t have to be members of a congregation to be able to worship the living God.

We just need to be open to Jesus call when he gives it.

There’s a theme being developed here with bondage and freedom.

Jesus sets her free.

Luke has Jesus using that language specifically.

He doesn’t talk about healing the way he does in other places.

He doesn’t talk about brokenness or restoration the way he does in other places.

He doesn’t talk about being made well.

He talks about freedom.

Jesus changes her perspective

The perspective she had, this constantly looking down at the ground, this is a kind of bondage for her.

She is not free when she lives like that.

If you only see the world one way, and that one way is never challenged, that’s not fresh thinking or an open mind or anything noble.

It’s limiting.

It’s restrictive.

It’s bondage.

So Jesus picks up her head and sets her free.

She responds in praise

There are countless stories like this in the Bible, some where folks get it, and some where they don’t.

There are lots of bad reasons to come to church:

Because your parents made you when you’re a kid and you never stopped.

Because you want your neighbors to think highly of you.

Because the preacher is good looking and tells funny jokes.

Maybe that one’s ok.

But there’s one legitimately solid reason to come to church, to worship God, to respond in praise.

Because Jesus has done some healing or liberating work in your life.

Because Jesus took you from point A to point B.

Because you have been changed, and you want to thank God for that.

Roadblocks to healing

The religious leader, of all people, resists this woman’s healing journey.

Man, you would think that would be a great reason to celebrate with her, don’t you?

But he doesn’t.

I don’t know why, I kind of imagine him sitting on a throne or something at the front of the room.

Listen people…

There are 6 work days you could show up.

How dare you text me on my day off!

How dare you come here for healing.

How dare you ask the guest preacher to pray for you and not me!

He claims it’s about the Sabbath, but Jesus sees through that.

He makes this excuse that it’s about the Sabbath.

There are 6 other days that you could be healed.

Come on one of those days!

But Jesus points out that, maybe this objection, this hesitation, has nothing to do with all those rules that have been set up all around the Sabbath.

Maybe it’s really about not wanting people to get ahead.

How many of you have experienced healing, or personal growth, or just a truly happy few moments in your life, and found that some of your friends have been less than supportive?

Have you had those times in your life when you thought that surely everyone was going to be happy for you, and yet that one friend or family member was kind of sitting in the corner with their arms crossed?

Or, if you’re willing to be a bit more honest and vulnerable here today, have you ever been that person in the corner with your arms crossed?

Have you ever seen someone you know and love find the kind of healing or growth or good fortune that you know they deserve, but found yourself grumpy or put off or disturbed by it all?

Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence.

Steven Pressfield, in his book The War of Art, talks about what happens when artists start experiencing success, but I think this quote works in just about all avenues of life.

Often couples or close friends, even entire families, will enter into tacit compacts whereby each individual pledges (unconsciously) to remain mired in the same slough in which she and all her cronies have become so comfortable. The highest treason a crab can commit is to make a leap for the rim of the bucket. (Stephen Pressfield, The War of Art)

Jealousy is a Sin

A while back I was playing a show with my band in college.

And a guy from one of the other bands was setting up right next to us, and he had a Taylor guitar.

At the time, I was a poor broke college kid, so I badly wanted a Taylor.

I jokingly looked at it and just said “Can I have that?”

And this guy, who apparently doesn’t understand how humor works, just looked at me and said “Jealousy is a sin.”

And you know what, he’s right.

When we see someone getting ahead in life, particularly when we are struggling in whatever area they just succeeded in, we have a tendency to get a bit jealous don’t we?

We start to wish that God had offered the same level of healing to us as God had offered to them.

And a sin isn’t just something naughty, something we get sent to cosmic time out over.

A sin is something that denies the beautiful humanity God gave us, or denies it in someone else.

To be jealous is to deny the goodness that God is working in someone else’s life.

To be jealous of healing like this is to limit your own perspective, to stare at the ground, to miss the rainbows in your life.

Healing is cause for celebration

The woman in this story, for as much as she didn’t want to be the center of attention at all, starts rejoicing in what Jesus has done for her.

And she’s not alone.

It says that the whole crowd starts to rejoice at all the beautiful things Jesus has done.

What are we rejoicing in?

One of my favorite things in the world is to be a participant when our brothers and sisters at NA celebrate clean time. There’s no party like it!

Another favorite thing is when someone has that “A ha!” Moment, when something they’ve been struggling with in life or faith starts to make sense and they start to move forward.

My favorite thing is when each of you, because at this point I’m collecting quite a roster, each of you come to me and tell me the good work that Jesus is doing in your life.

When you get a front row seat to Jesus’ work in someone else’s healing, the answer isn’t jealousy.

It’s celebration.

Un-ironic Repurposing

All of which leads to a posture we need to adopt as a church.

We need to steal the first half of what the synagogue leader says in this story.

“Come and be healed.”

Not the back half, like “Please wait for the open sign to light up.”

But what if we adopted a posture of “Come and be healed?”

Hey, drug addicts? We don’t judge. We have something that can help. Come and be healed.

Hey homeless folks? We know that life is tough out there. Come on in and have a bite to eat. Come and be healed.

Hey everyone that doesn’t have two pennies to rub together? We don’t value wealth the way the rest of the world does. Come and be healed.

Hey everyone who has so much money they don’t actually think they need Jesus? You do, and we’re happy you’re here. Come and be healed.

Hey everyone who’s been caught up in the political culture war that absolutely no one seems to be winning no matter how loud they’re shouting? This is a place of peace. Come and be healed.

You could probably fill in your own blanks.

In fact, I’m betting that even sitting here you can think of someone you need to say this too.

Come and be healed.

Come and be healed.

Come and be healed.

However, there’s a warning in this.

We can’t be the church of come and be healed if we’re going to behave like the synagogue leader.

We can’t be the church of come and be healed if we’re sitting in our comfy chairs with our arms crossed.

We can’t be the church of come and be healed if we’re jealous of other people’s healing.

We can’t be the church of come and be healed if we would rather Jesus not get involved.

We can’t be the church of come and be healed if we’re not willing or able to accept that healing for ourselves.

But you know what? It’s ok.

All of that jealousy?

All of that envy?

All of that hatred?

All of that bickering?

All of that fear?

Jesus can and will heal that too.

So my brothers and sisters: Come and be healed.