Mercy On The Wrong Day
Preaching
The Miracles Of Jesus And Their Flip Side
Miracle narratives from the Revised Common Lectionary with a fresh look at the other side of the story
To the bent-over crippled in the spirit on a Sabbath,
Jesus gave the gift of upright posture restored.
In him is a wonderful freedom for people over laws.
Here is a warning lest we crave power instead of mercy.
I've received only one reprimand for wrong behavior in my forty years of ordained ministry. I'm pretty sure you would like to know what I had done which violated the sensibilities of my congregation and shepherd. I was in my first parish, Third Lutheran Church, Springfield, Ohio, where they numbered the congregations one though five as they were organized.
It was Easter Sunday afternoon. Lent and Holy Week were finished, Jesus was out of the grave, and my work load looked to be a little more manageable. In that spirit, three of our sons and I decided we would take our newly acquired, double-engine go-cart out to the track for a few rounds. When we got there, they were organizing a rather major race. I entered it on a whim. I won third place! Next day on the sports page was the comment that "local pastor of Third caps third place in third race at the track."
Not all of the congregation celebrated our near victory. A group in the church who were angry over the successful integration of the congregation's black neighbors were especially incensed that their pastor would take part in such a sport on the day of resurrection. The ensuing letter from my Bishop, Herbert Veler, hung for years on the wall in my study. It was a gentle reprimand from a loving bishop.
Of course Luke, a doctor, tells a different story. There weren't any go-cart tracks open in Palestine. Besides, Easter hadn't come yet. Still, it's my guess that of all the disciples, Peter and Mary Magdalene probably would have made excellent competitive race drivers!
Jesus was still preaching in the synagogues, but just barely. Opposition to his message and claims was building. In this synagogue, Jesus noticed a woman bent over double who had been that way for eighteen years. Her contemporaries blamed it on demon possession. Today we might call the condition fusion of the spinal vertebrae. Jesus took the mercy-filled initiative. Luke tells it: "When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, 'Woman, you are set free from your infirmity!' Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God" (Luke 13:12-13).
While only Doctor Luke, who was very interested in any of Jesus' healings, tells the delightful story of a day when something really happened in church, we still find it instructive and inspiring. I especially focus right in on Luke's words that this woman was "... crippled by a spirit ..." (Luke 13:11). That was surely a hint that on that particular day everyone believed that to be ill or have a deformity was to be possessed by Satan and/or demons.
But the words "crippled by a spirit" intrigue me about our lives now 2,000 years later and within our church also. Aren't we all from time to time crippled by a spirit? There are still spirits which can distort us from the way we ought to be. The Bible warns us of some of them: "The cravings of sinful people, the lust of their eyes, and the boasting of what they have and do ..." (1 John 2:16). It warns us of a spirit of greed which can addict us to wealth and put us in bondage of getting and keeping money.
And we must mention how we get all wrapped up in the fear of what other people will think of us. That one has kept so many of us as spiritual runts when God would have us be giants. The spirits called alcohol and drugs. The spirits of a jealousy which can tear our relationships apart. The spirits of suspicion which infect working together with other well-meaning and motivated people. And, of course, there is that spirit of "me first" and self-centeredness which reduces our human nature to one of being bent over in conniving and manipulation. Then there is the seductive, distorting spirit of power over others. We'll save that one for the synagogue president a little later on.
At Third Lutheran many years ago there may have been the spirit of racism and ugly prejudice at work, as well as a brash, young, insensitive pastor racing a twin-engine go-cart on Easter Sunday afternoon.
We were not created by God to be possessed and crippled by these spirits which distort our stature. Today Jesus says to us as well as to the woman bent over for eighteen years, "... you are set free from your infirmity" (Luke 13:12b).
Not only are there spirits which cripple us, but there is a new sense of freedom available when we give ourselves to Christ and his ministry. It's not easy to describe: freedom, relief from guilt and worry, confidence we are okay, courage to face the future, the stuff necessary to deal with it, liberty. So like that bent-over woman, we can stand tall again.
In the little town of Eisleben, Germany, where the great reformer Martin Luther was born and died, there is in the church tower a collection of his books. On a page of his Bible (which has a piece of chain still connected to it) written in large letters in the margin are the words, "Free indeed." It marks chapter 8 of John: "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (v. 36).
Jesus going to the cross for our undeserved forgiveness, coming out of the grave so we might also, and returning in spirit to equip us for life here with his presence, is freeing. We are free indeed. We need not be bent over in weariness, or guilt, or addiction, or worry any longer. For Jesus puts his hands on us here, too, and we can straighten up and walk out into our lives this week as God's free children.
On the face of it, what happened next seems so silly. Jesus heals a faithful member who was all bent out of shape for eighteen years and the president of the congregation and some members, instead of rejoicing, complain! Shades of the other miracles where, instead of celebrating their gift to the one who needed it, some grouchy, grumpy, suspicious, old men complain and attack. The man let down through Peter's mother-in-law's roof is a good example.
What is it that makes us this way? We just believe it's too good to be true, or we're suspicious it was all faked, or jealous of whatever was done for them, or can't stand the attention they got and we didn't? Here the complaint was that Jesus was working on the Sabbath. And, of course, everyone knew it was against the rules to do that.
It's a warning not to put rules above concern and mercy for people. We must always guard against making our religion a whole bunch of "Thou shalt nots ..." Mercy must always take precedence over rules and interpretation of laws. So the rule was to keep holy the Sabbath. Certainly giving back this woman's stature was much more important and holy that day than refraining from offending a minute law about what is work and what isn't.
In Christianity the individual must always come before the system. We must never sacrifice the personal compassion for individuals which Jesus wants us to have for them for the sake of greater numbers or larger effort's success.
In addition to Luke's wanting us to know of another healing Jesus did, I think he also wanted us to see clearly how it is when the kingdom comes into the middle of a congregation. A woman who had been all bent over for eighteen years stood up straight and the people "... were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing" (Luke 13:17b). So many dramatic and dynamic changes took place that day because Jesus was in their midst. The kingdom was there and that rearranged lives and people and even the Sabbath rules everyone thought could never ever be changed!
So here in our congregation, as we pray for and expect the kingdom to come, we can expect such things as mean people to be much kinder, racism turned into loving discipleship, broken marriages brought back together, alcoholics made sober, drug addicts made clean, egocentrics turned to humble care givers, demanding and abusive parents changed to loving mentors, worriers freed up and encouraged, and depressed lifted up with new hope. That's the way it ought to be and can be, as Dr. Luke wanted us to know and experience the results of the kingdom of God breaking through here as well. It was the same synagogue, the same bent-over woman, the same congregation, the same congregational president. But it was a new preacher with a new and different message -- about the kingdom, and healing, and power over evil. It was the dynamite power of God's presence. That little church will never be the same again. Luke knew that and wrote it down.
The flip side of this miracle might be about a president hooked on control and power; it could be about the need to break some old traditions which prohibit our witness; or it just might be encouragement to expect miracles here in our congregation. We've heard the main teachings of the miracle of healing in the synagogue on Sabbath, but there are always some sides or subtly under-items which are fun to examine.
I'm not sure we come to church expecting enough (or actually wanting enough) to happen. The breaking-in of the kingdom of God is not something we talk about a lot these days. I doubt if we sit very often on the edge of our pew watching around us for a miracle to happen before, during, or after the sermon. But it could, if we pray for it and have faith. Often what God can do here is severely limited to what we believe and expect. God's always ready, but we aren't.
The breaking-in of the kingdom, in fact all preaching, now seems to be limited by the view of kingdom in the sweet by-and-by, way down the road from the present. Still God invites us as he did that woman for action now. He calls us forward now as he called her then. And he offers to give us new stature and a healthy taste of kingdom here and now.
I'm eager to point out something else to you today. The flip side of this story must also be about power. That president of the synagogue was angry not so much because Jesus broke a rule on keeping the Sabbath. This authority lost control of the situation. He probably had invited the now famous wonder-worker and Nazarene preacher to be the guest speaker. He was sure to boost attendance for that Sabbath. But Jesus went far beyond what the president expected him to do. He took over! Suddenly all eyes were on Jesus and not on the president. Jesus' power was so much stronger. His mercy was so much more attractive than the man's regulations and rules. He was furious because he lost power. We get that way if we have allowed our sinful thirst for power over people to enslave us to its bloated lifestyle. It is in humility we find kingdom power and the love of people rather than control and manipulation of people. That's God's way. That's power also. Jesus had it and the synagogue president did not.
We all must examine ourselves over and over because we remain imperfect and sinners; we must deal with each other and others with whom we live, work, and play, not out of the position of being over them, but in love, being with them and sharing the creative power which God gives.
There is one other part of the flip side of this miracle: Every congregation, no matter how faithful and devout, needs miracles. Because we are a gathering of forgiven sinners, we still aren't very good at dealing with each other. The harder we all work at our discipleship, the more we rub each other the wrong way and tramp on each other's toes. We need over and over the miracle of renewed trust and love for each other.
Consider what the miracles we need as a group of Christians trying to be faithful disciples are. Here are some I will pray for:
-- That Jesus would give us a new boldness so we will all go from here and witness to others about the good news we know.
-- That Jesus would convince us to be a lot better at sharing our money with the mission and ministry of our church.
-- That Jesus would equip each of us to be ministers all this week long wherever we find ourselves.
-- That Jesus would make us people of prayer so we might continue to grow in depth of faith.
-- That Jesus would turn us from skeptical, cynical, critical members to loving, grace-filled ones who bless others by our presence.
-- That Jesus would help us stand tall again as he did that woman in the synagogue that day, if we are bent over with burdens and worry.
Perhaps that's enough miracle working this week, but next Sabbath may Jesus work the miracle that all of us be here together expecting great things again.
Regardless of the congregation's consternation about Sabbath rules that day, I'm confident there was one family in the Palestine village where the hostess stood up straight for the first time in a long time and told of her great joy.
Add this flip side to the traditional side of the kingdom coming now, putting love of individual over enforcement of rules, the gift of being set free, and being cured of those spirits which cripple us, and you have a marvelous story for Palestine and promise for us, too.
Jesus gave the gift of upright posture restored.
In him is a wonderful freedom for people over laws.
Here is a warning lest we crave power instead of mercy.
I've received only one reprimand for wrong behavior in my forty years of ordained ministry. I'm pretty sure you would like to know what I had done which violated the sensibilities of my congregation and shepherd. I was in my first parish, Third Lutheran Church, Springfield, Ohio, where they numbered the congregations one though five as they were organized.
It was Easter Sunday afternoon. Lent and Holy Week were finished, Jesus was out of the grave, and my work load looked to be a little more manageable. In that spirit, three of our sons and I decided we would take our newly acquired, double-engine go-cart out to the track for a few rounds. When we got there, they were organizing a rather major race. I entered it on a whim. I won third place! Next day on the sports page was the comment that "local pastor of Third caps third place in third race at the track."
Not all of the congregation celebrated our near victory. A group in the church who were angry over the successful integration of the congregation's black neighbors were especially incensed that their pastor would take part in such a sport on the day of resurrection. The ensuing letter from my Bishop, Herbert Veler, hung for years on the wall in my study. It was a gentle reprimand from a loving bishop.
Of course Luke, a doctor, tells a different story. There weren't any go-cart tracks open in Palestine. Besides, Easter hadn't come yet. Still, it's my guess that of all the disciples, Peter and Mary Magdalene probably would have made excellent competitive race drivers!
Jesus was still preaching in the synagogues, but just barely. Opposition to his message and claims was building. In this synagogue, Jesus noticed a woman bent over double who had been that way for eighteen years. Her contemporaries blamed it on demon possession. Today we might call the condition fusion of the spinal vertebrae. Jesus took the mercy-filled initiative. Luke tells it: "When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, 'Woman, you are set free from your infirmity!' Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God" (Luke 13:12-13).
While only Doctor Luke, who was very interested in any of Jesus' healings, tells the delightful story of a day when something really happened in church, we still find it instructive and inspiring. I especially focus right in on Luke's words that this woman was "... crippled by a spirit ..." (Luke 13:11). That was surely a hint that on that particular day everyone believed that to be ill or have a deformity was to be possessed by Satan and/or demons.
But the words "crippled by a spirit" intrigue me about our lives now 2,000 years later and within our church also. Aren't we all from time to time crippled by a spirit? There are still spirits which can distort us from the way we ought to be. The Bible warns us of some of them: "The cravings of sinful people, the lust of their eyes, and the boasting of what they have and do ..." (1 John 2:16). It warns us of a spirit of greed which can addict us to wealth and put us in bondage of getting and keeping money.
And we must mention how we get all wrapped up in the fear of what other people will think of us. That one has kept so many of us as spiritual runts when God would have us be giants. The spirits called alcohol and drugs. The spirits of a jealousy which can tear our relationships apart. The spirits of suspicion which infect working together with other well-meaning and motivated people. And, of course, there is that spirit of "me first" and self-centeredness which reduces our human nature to one of being bent over in conniving and manipulation. Then there is the seductive, distorting spirit of power over others. We'll save that one for the synagogue president a little later on.
At Third Lutheran many years ago there may have been the spirit of racism and ugly prejudice at work, as well as a brash, young, insensitive pastor racing a twin-engine go-cart on Easter Sunday afternoon.
We were not created by God to be possessed and crippled by these spirits which distort our stature. Today Jesus says to us as well as to the woman bent over for eighteen years, "... you are set free from your infirmity" (Luke 13:12b).
Not only are there spirits which cripple us, but there is a new sense of freedom available when we give ourselves to Christ and his ministry. It's not easy to describe: freedom, relief from guilt and worry, confidence we are okay, courage to face the future, the stuff necessary to deal with it, liberty. So like that bent-over woman, we can stand tall again.
In the little town of Eisleben, Germany, where the great reformer Martin Luther was born and died, there is in the church tower a collection of his books. On a page of his Bible (which has a piece of chain still connected to it) written in large letters in the margin are the words, "Free indeed." It marks chapter 8 of John: "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (v. 36).
Jesus going to the cross for our undeserved forgiveness, coming out of the grave so we might also, and returning in spirit to equip us for life here with his presence, is freeing. We are free indeed. We need not be bent over in weariness, or guilt, or addiction, or worry any longer. For Jesus puts his hands on us here, too, and we can straighten up and walk out into our lives this week as God's free children.
On the face of it, what happened next seems so silly. Jesus heals a faithful member who was all bent out of shape for eighteen years and the president of the congregation and some members, instead of rejoicing, complain! Shades of the other miracles where, instead of celebrating their gift to the one who needed it, some grouchy, grumpy, suspicious, old men complain and attack. The man let down through Peter's mother-in-law's roof is a good example.
What is it that makes us this way? We just believe it's too good to be true, or we're suspicious it was all faked, or jealous of whatever was done for them, or can't stand the attention they got and we didn't? Here the complaint was that Jesus was working on the Sabbath. And, of course, everyone knew it was against the rules to do that.
It's a warning not to put rules above concern and mercy for people. We must always guard against making our religion a whole bunch of "Thou shalt nots ..." Mercy must always take precedence over rules and interpretation of laws. So the rule was to keep holy the Sabbath. Certainly giving back this woman's stature was much more important and holy that day than refraining from offending a minute law about what is work and what isn't.
In Christianity the individual must always come before the system. We must never sacrifice the personal compassion for individuals which Jesus wants us to have for them for the sake of greater numbers or larger effort's success.
In addition to Luke's wanting us to know of another healing Jesus did, I think he also wanted us to see clearly how it is when the kingdom comes into the middle of a congregation. A woman who had been all bent over for eighteen years stood up straight and the people "... were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing" (Luke 13:17b). So many dramatic and dynamic changes took place that day because Jesus was in their midst. The kingdom was there and that rearranged lives and people and even the Sabbath rules everyone thought could never ever be changed!
So here in our congregation, as we pray for and expect the kingdom to come, we can expect such things as mean people to be much kinder, racism turned into loving discipleship, broken marriages brought back together, alcoholics made sober, drug addicts made clean, egocentrics turned to humble care givers, demanding and abusive parents changed to loving mentors, worriers freed up and encouraged, and depressed lifted up with new hope. That's the way it ought to be and can be, as Dr. Luke wanted us to know and experience the results of the kingdom of God breaking through here as well. It was the same synagogue, the same bent-over woman, the same congregation, the same congregational president. But it was a new preacher with a new and different message -- about the kingdom, and healing, and power over evil. It was the dynamite power of God's presence. That little church will never be the same again. Luke knew that and wrote it down.
The flip side of this miracle might be about a president hooked on control and power; it could be about the need to break some old traditions which prohibit our witness; or it just might be encouragement to expect miracles here in our congregation. We've heard the main teachings of the miracle of healing in the synagogue on Sabbath, but there are always some sides or subtly under-items which are fun to examine.
I'm not sure we come to church expecting enough (or actually wanting enough) to happen. The breaking-in of the kingdom of God is not something we talk about a lot these days. I doubt if we sit very often on the edge of our pew watching around us for a miracle to happen before, during, or after the sermon. But it could, if we pray for it and have faith. Often what God can do here is severely limited to what we believe and expect. God's always ready, but we aren't.
The breaking-in of the kingdom, in fact all preaching, now seems to be limited by the view of kingdom in the sweet by-and-by, way down the road from the present. Still God invites us as he did that woman for action now. He calls us forward now as he called her then. And he offers to give us new stature and a healthy taste of kingdom here and now.
I'm eager to point out something else to you today. The flip side of this story must also be about power. That president of the synagogue was angry not so much because Jesus broke a rule on keeping the Sabbath. This authority lost control of the situation. He probably had invited the now famous wonder-worker and Nazarene preacher to be the guest speaker. He was sure to boost attendance for that Sabbath. But Jesus went far beyond what the president expected him to do. He took over! Suddenly all eyes were on Jesus and not on the president. Jesus' power was so much stronger. His mercy was so much more attractive than the man's regulations and rules. He was furious because he lost power. We get that way if we have allowed our sinful thirst for power over people to enslave us to its bloated lifestyle. It is in humility we find kingdom power and the love of people rather than control and manipulation of people. That's God's way. That's power also. Jesus had it and the synagogue president did not.
We all must examine ourselves over and over because we remain imperfect and sinners; we must deal with each other and others with whom we live, work, and play, not out of the position of being over them, but in love, being with them and sharing the creative power which God gives.
There is one other part of the flip side of this miracle: Every congregation, no matter how faithful and devout, needs miracles. Because we are a gathering of forgiven sinners, we still aren't very good at dealing with each other. The harder we all work at our discipleship, the more we rub each other the wrong way and tramp on each other's toes. We need over and over the miracle of renewed trust and love for each other.
Consider what the miracles we need as a group of Christians trying to be faithful disciples are. Here are some I will pray for:
-- That Jesus would give us a new boldness so we will all go from here and witness to others about the good news we know.
-- That Jesus would convince us to be a lot better at sharing our money with the mission and ministry of our church.
-- That Jesus would equip each of us to be ministers all this week long wherever we find ourselves.
-- That Jesus would make us people of prayer so we might continue to grow in depth of faith.
-- That Jesus would turn us from skeptical, cynical, critical members to loving, grace-filled ones who bless others by our presence.
-- That Jesus would help us stand tall again as he did that woman in the synagogue that day, if we are bent over with burdens and worry.
Perhaps that's enough miracle working this week, but next Sabbath may Jesus work the miracle that all of us be here together expecting great things again.
Regardless of the congregation's consternation about Sabbath rules that day, I'm confident there was one family in the Palestine village where the hostess stood up straight for the first time in a long time and told of her great joy.
Add this flip side to the traditional side of the kingdom coming now, putting love of individual over enforcement of rules, the gift of being set free, and being cured of those spirits which cripple us, and you have a marvelous story for Palestine and promise for us, too.
