September 24, 2023
Pastor John Hering
Luke 13:10-17
Luke 13:10-17
10 Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And a woman was there who had a spirit that had disabled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” 13 He placed his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight and began to glorify God.
14 But the ruler of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. He said to the crowd in response, “There are six days to do work. So come to be healed on those days and not on the Sabbath day!”
15 The Lord answered him, “Hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you untie his ox or his donkey from the manger on the Sabbath and lead it to water? 16 Here is this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years! Shouldn’t she be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?”
17 As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame. But the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things he was doing.
As a kid this was a movie I loved watching with my family—“The Wizard of Oz!” Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Lion did exactly what the Wizard of Oz had asked them to do in order for Dorothy to get back home to Kansas, for the Scarecrow to get a brain, The Tinman a heart, and courage for the Lion. But, now he said they needed to go defeat the Wicked Witch of the West (confident that they wouldn’t be able to do it). And against all odds, they do! Dorothy melts the witch with a bucket of water and returns to the wizard. “We’d like you to keep your promise to us, if you please, sir.”
Shocked that they’ve actually returned and asked him to make good on his promise, he says, “Not so fast. Not so fast! I’ll have to give the matter a little thought. Go away and come back tomorrow.” “Tomorrow?” Dorothy asks with such disbelief and sadness. “Oh, but I wanna go home now!” “Do not arouse the wrath of the great and powerful Oz! I said come back tomorrow!” shouts the Wizard, who is neither great nor powerful; he’s stalling, because he has no idea how he might help. The Wizard of Oz wanted to Pause, but this just couldn’t wait!
At the start of our gospel reading, the great and powerful Jesus is holding an audience. “10 Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. All the usual suspects were there—the every-Sabbath worshipers, the synagogue ruler, the outstanding members of the community. But then, in walks a woman even more small and meek than Dorothy. We read “11 And a woman was there who had a spirit that had disabled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not stand up straight.” All the people at that Synagogue were there to worship, that is, to meditate on God’s Word, to praise their Lord God and to encourage each other in godly living. But, in the Church God Wants they learned about the true meaning of the Sabbath. Now it was
A Time To Pause—This Can’t Wait
It’s Not About Something We Have To Do
As the unsuspecting woman walked into worship she wasn’t singing, “If I only had a brain,” or heart, or courage, because she needs all of those things and then some. She doesn’t seek an audience; she’s done no great deeds, she’s slain no witch—she can’t do anything—her spine so curved and so damaged that she can’t even straighten up. She has no companions with her, no one to notice her—who would want to? She was a woman affected by a great disability! And Jesus, the great and powerful? Well, he’s busy teaching God’s Word to the congregation!
But then Jesus did something He Didn’t Have To Do. Listen: “11 And [behold!] a woman was there.” (The Greek has “Behold”). Pause! Stop! Look! Notice this woman! Her? Why? Because otherwise we wouldn’t. It was Time To Pause Because This Can’t Wait! “11 And [Behold!] a woman was there who had a spirit that had disabled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not stand up straight. Who sees her? Behold, the Holy Spirit says, telling us to look with the eyes of the main character here—and who is that? Not the synagogue ruler—he would prefer she comes back tomorrow. Not the pious listeners—they’re studiously ignoring her. Look with whose eyes? Those of Jesus. He’s not too busy with his sermon to interrupt it when he sees her. Who? Her? That woman? The woman with a spirit of infirmity for 18 years! Helpless, outcast, doesn’t belong—her?
“12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over.” “Oh no, this is the part where he scolds her, right? He’ll say, ‘You’re dealing with a demon, this must be your fault. Take an example everyone—don’t be like this lady! Or maybe he scolds her—you don’t belong here! Not in the synagogue, look at your clothes, your hair, your sickly figure. Why can’t you come when I’m teaching in the streets or something? Can’t this wait?’” No. What does Jesus say? “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” What?! I’m sorry—what did you say? Without delay? No “come back tomorrow?” Behold as Jesus looks with his compassionate eyes for this can’t wait until tomorrow. Not in the Church God Wants! He doesn’t want to wait one more moment to restore her. He calls her up to the front! “Yes, you belong here!” And Jesus the great and powerful says, “Woman, from this moment on—without a moment to lose—you are free!” I don’t think she had time even react! She’s been hunched over for 18 years; she doesn’t know what it means to stand up straight. So, Jesus guides her: “13 He placed his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight and began to glorify God.”
Can you picture it? Jesus straightening her out—no, seriously, you can stand like this now! Look how tall you are! And notice what else happens? Until this moment, she has done nothing. We’ve heard nothing from her. She was just there—hunched over, unseen, uncared for. But what do we see immediately after Jesus preaches this living sermon? “and immediately she stood up straight and began to glorify God.” It was Time To Put Her Horrible Life on Pause—for This Couldn’t Wait! She Didn’t Have To Give Glory To God, but she sure wanted to! Not only was her body made straight, but through Jesus’ power and love her soul is raised up. And just as quickly as Jesus had compassion on her, she responds to give glory and praise to her God!
Behold! What about you!?! You step into church and sit where you always sit maybe because you don’t want to be noticed, or because you are trying to look normal. But if we could see inside your heart and life what would we “behold”? Maybe you are hunched over with the demands of this life, fighting against the demons who are tempting you to sin. Maybe we would see your hopeless life because you’re not getting the help you are searching for? Well, none of us deserves to be here in the presence of our great and powerful God! Look around! Maybe you don’t even think you should be sitting among all the people here who have it all together!?! Then It’s Time To Pause—For This Can’t Wait! The Church God Wants is a church just like this. For here is where sorrowful, repentant sinners come to be healed. There are some who will say, “You don’t have to go to church to be a Christian,” and they may be right, if they are speaking to those who think they’re better than they are because they come to church. But, they’re wrong if they think separating themselves from Word and Sacrament results in a healthy spiritual life. For here in God’s House our souls are fed and nourished. It Is Time For All Of Us To Pause—For This Can’t Wait! We are here in Jesus’ presence we receive the blessings the healed woman received from Jesus at the synagogue. This isn’t something we Have To Do….
It’s About Something We Get To Do
For a moment, don’t look at your Sunday morning through your eyes, or the eyes of other people here, or the pastor’s eyes. Look through Jesus’ eyes. He sees you—oh, yes, all of you. He sees your actions and he sees your attitudes. He knows why you’re here and what expectations you have being here just like he saw the crowds that day. Jesus knew the crowds were struggling with the purpose of the Sabbath Day. They had forgotten what the Sabbath was all about. In the beginning God created the world and rested from all he had made on the first Sabbath. Then God further explained the purpose of the Sabbath through Moses to provide a day to enjoy the rest only he can provide. That’s still what the 3rd Commandment is all about—It’s a Time To Pause and receive true rest from God’s Word. You remember how Luther explained it: “We should fear and love God that we do not despise preaching and his Word, but regard it as holy and gladly hear and learn it.“ It is a sin to despise hearing God’s Word proclaimed (spoken to our sinful flesh), but hearing God’s Word is a blessing and Something We Get To Do when we gladly hear and learn it (spoken to our new life in Christ). Jesus knows our every sin, weakness and spiritual need. He also knows This Can’t Wait, because we need his compassion, love and forgiveness every passing hour.
And if you want even more proof of that, look no further than the rest of the account here. Jesus does this incredible miracle, giving further testimony to the fact that he is the promised Messiah who would proclaim God’s love and perform miracles to prove who he was. And how does the synagogue ruler react? He’s indignant! “14 But the ruler of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. He said to the crowd in response, “There are six days to do work. So come to be healed on those days and not on the Sabbath day!” Once again we learn that wherever Jesus’ word is, there is opposition. Wherever Jesus’ does something wonderful, the devil is working hard, too. The synagogue ruler isn’t the only one who comes with sorry excuses to tells Jesus that he should come back tomorrow.
We can do that too! Every day, and every weekend, Jesus gives us a chance to pause and rest in his Word. But when it’s Jesus’ time, why does it always seem to be inconvenient? We fail To Pause and say, “Oh, time with Jesus can wait until tomorrow.” Jesus’ response puts the synagogue ruler and our sinful excuses to shame, too. “15 The Lord answered him, “Hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you untie his ox or his donkey from the manger on the Sabbath and lead it to water? 16 Here is this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years! Shouldn’t she be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?” I’ve heard a story like this way too many times. You want to sleep in, but your dog needs you. That dog will not wait until tomorrow! Don’t you get up and let it out and give it water and food? Maybe because I’m not a pet owner, but I just can’t wrap my head around people who have more concern for their dogs than they do their souls being nourished and relieved by God’s Word? Stop! Wait! Pause! This Can’t Wait!
Right now you Get To Look At Jesus and hear his precious Word! “17 As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame. But the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things he was doing.” In The Church God Wants You Get To Praise And Worship Jesus who Couldn’t Wait to suffer the payment of your sins. Jesus so loved you he died for you and offered his life to the Father to redeem us from the power of Satan, Death and hell! Now is the Time To Pause because It Just Can’t Wait. Now is the time that we Get To Worship and Praise Jesus because we are redeemed.
In the Wizard of Oz, when the wizard tells them to come back tomorrow, Dorothy responds, “If you were really great and powerful, you’d keep your promises.” The Wizard of Oz isn’t; he’s a fraud. And Dorothy was just having a dream. But Jesus is really great and powerful. Jesus isn’t a dream! He keeps his promises. It Can’t Wait! So Pause Your Life Often not because you have to, but because You Get To receive rest that only Jesus can give. Amen!
