Living in the Spirit

August 20, 2022

Scripture Reading: Luke 13:10-17

Now he 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.

Rules were not necessarily made to be broken but learning how to make exceptions to rules is a key to faith maturity. Rules are guidelines to simplify life. I get frustrated by the number of drivers who do not use their turn signals. The use of a turn signal is a driving rule. I also get frustrated when people forget to turn them off after making a turn. And yes, I am guilty of having done both at one time or another. I must admit that driving is much safer and simpler when everyone plays by the rules. Of course, my best effort at correcting the situation is to be a good role model. I did not get the assignment to police anyone else’s behavior. We have a well-trained police force to do that.

The rules about working on the Sabbath exist for both the purpose of resting the human body from the hard work, mental or physical, people do the other six days of the week and for setting aside time to reconnect and focus on our relationship with God. The Bible accounts many times when Jesus withdrew from the crowds, even the Disciples, to connect more deeply with God.

The above scripture seems to describe a game of who is the holiest. I cannot imagine any greater feeling of connectedness to God than the ability to touch someone and heal their deformed body. Now that is a Sabbath for the ages.

Prayer: Lord, guide our dedications to following your rules designed to make our lives more manageable while continuing to serve you more nearly. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.