Proper 16 Yr C
All that is within me— Bless God

Introduction

I quickly admit that the lesson from the Prophet Jeremiah contains one of my favorite passages: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; . . ." Yes, I know God was talking to Jeremiah but the concept of knowing us before we were formed in the womb is reiterated in other places in the Hebrew Testament, and it resonates well with me. I don't have delusions of grandeur to think I will be remembered for some great accomplishment, or that the world with recognize my name. That's not what this is about: it's love. A god who loves his children enough to know who they are before they are born. This is quite comforting for me. And I think this "God-loves-each" thing is what the gospel is about too. Jesus sees a woman who is suffering and touches her (loves her?), and that touch removes her suffering. Jesus goes further to say to the nay-sayers why shouldn't she be "untied", like the animals are untied. 

For many, this gospel suggests that we cannot work on Sundays. Yet, so many of us don't really have a choice about that: those in medicine, those in helping services, those in protective services, and many others. So, this gospel lesson can be simply taught—there is a day of the week on which we all should rest but cannot ignore the demands (healing, helping) just because “law” tells us to rest. But, is there another side to this lesson? Do we all have the luxury to “rest” on the Sabbath? An even deeper assessment is whether the rules we establish (to participate, to commit, to enjoy) are actually barriers to those who have the greatest need. So, re-read the gospel with somewhat contemporary “new” eyes. Share your thoughts.

Luke 13:10-17

Now Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.” But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?” When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

From sermon4kids.com: “Rules are good, but people are more important. We should remember that the next time we start to get all bent out of shape when someone bends the rules a little bit to help someone who is in need.”