“And when Jesus saw her, He called her….”
What brought you to a turning point in your faith journey? I remember the moment when with unspeakable awe and joy, I was awakened to two truths of our faith; God sees us, and God calls us! God sees and God calls even me and you! This truth brought me to a turning point in my life’s journey. Overwhelmed with tears of joy and repentance I committed my life to God.
On Sunday, we will read Luke 13:10-17 which describes the faith journey of an unnamed, lowly, woman. As was His custom, Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath day. Among those listening to Jesus was a woman with an ailment that left her bent over for eighteen years. Amid a crowd of able-bodied folks, standing tall, it would have been easy to overlook a crippled woman. But Jesus saw her. Jesus was attentive to a lowly female. More amazingly, Jesus was attentive to a lowly female with her body sloping downward. Jesus looked deep within her and discerned her immense physical and spiritual suffering. Jesus saw a woman who was searching for healing, for despite her illness, with courage and determination she made her way to the synagogue to see and hear Jesus. He saw the depth of her soul, as He sees the depth of our soul. He sees when our hearts are sincere and when in our state of sin, we need healing. Jesus called the woman and laid His healing hands on her.
The woman, now healed, could look upward physically and spiritually. She recognized that it was God’s power and loving compassion working in Jesus Christ that healed her. She found faith and hope. With a sincere, joy-filled heart, she praised God, and her very being became evidence that proclaimed God’s saving power, His goodness, and love.
But the story does not end with communal praise to God for the woman’s healing in the synagogue. Instead, the leaders became indignant and turned the conversation of her healing to the Levitical law that prohibited work on the Sabbath. They interpreted Jesus’ healing as work and failed to discern God’s priorities of compassion, mercy, and love. They did not understand that true Sabbath rest is attained only when all that keeps us burdened and heavy-ladened is lifted.
Jesus’ healing of the woman bent over revealed God’s powerful movement in salvation history. We are all invited into a true sabbath rest of our souls, in God’s kingdom. The Levitical law requiring rest from work on the Sabbath is necessary, as is the setting aside of the Sabbath for worship. But more importantly, the Sabbath law foreshadows the promise of interior sabbath rest, found and fulfilled in the One whom God sent to bear the weight of our sins and dysfunctions. By the saving work of Christ, we are released from the inner burden of guilt and shame. The Good News is that God sees us, God calls us. God rids us of our heavy burdens and God in Christ offers us the gift of true Sabbath rest for our souls. Thanks be to God!
