Meditation of the Bent Over Woman in Luke 13:10-17

An audio recording of this meditation can be found on the website of the First Congregational UCC in Fairport New York or by following this link: http://fairportucc.org/page/service_august_21_2016

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 ailed 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.



It's a simple enough story: on the way to Jerusalem, while Jesus is teaching in a synagogue, a "bent-over" woman passing by evokes Jesus' compassion.

Today I want to focus mostly on the subject of the story
On this woman who went to synagogue – who she was and what this encounter with Jesus meant to her
on what it means to be bent or challenged and straightened out

Feminist Biblical scholar Sharon Ringe describes the life of the bent-over woman very well,
Her condition could be translated as "a spirit of weakness."
She calls that weakness a kind of power that kept her bent-over and captive in "a world defined by the piece of ground around her own toes or looked at always on a slant". 
Ironically, while this woman's line of vision has been severely affected by her ailment these many years, she has no problem seeing that help is on the way, standing right in front of her, in the person of Jesus.
She has no problem recognizing the source of her healing as God.

Does the woman ask for healing? No.
Does Jesus seem to care that it's the Sabbath, when healing non-life-threatening conditions is not permitted? No.
Without being asked, he calls her over to him, and sets her free from her longtime ailment by placing his hands on her, just as one would in blessing.
The woman is blessed and freed and has sense enough to recognize the source of the freedom she's been given at last, freedom from the little bit of square footage she's been limited to visually for almost twenty years.

Years ago when I was studying this passage I wrote a few poems that express some of my musings on being bent, those who are bent among us and the joy of being freed— living standing straight

Poetic Musing on
the Bent Over Woman
in Luke 13:10-17
I can see her
over there
that old, bent over woman
aching to stand straight

always looking down
needing to be lifted
to meet all eye to eye

cranky and embittered
from being ignored
dragging herself around
longing to be included
challenged by her mind
and her physical imperfection
daring to dream of what some call
wholeness
missing the gifts that her infirmity brings

will it be any better
when she can walk straight?

Each Sunday, all sorts of burdens are carried into our church.
Some, like the bent-over woman's condition, are more visible than others.
If we looked around the room today we might be able to see the weight of many years of suffering on one person's face, the crushing hurt of a new and painful reality in another's eyes: divorce; the loss of a loved one; financial worries; poor health; a child who is struggling with addiction.

Is it enough?
Is it enough?
I’ve read all your comments
I’ve studied the text
but still have questions
unanswered

What of the women still bent?
What of the men challenged by addiction,
children unable to walk straight?

Each week they come here to worship
and no healing of body is seen
we make room for their wheelchairs
or provide self help groups

They still live bound by Satan
some well
and some bitter

Is there hope here for them?
will the healing of their spirits
be enough?

God,
I don’t know.

Living Life as A Straightened Up Woman
(Luke 13: 10-17)

I have questions about questions
and unknowingness to spare
there are tears I long to share
I stand here ready to jump
ready to go after my dreams
yet to be dreamt

It’s all open
and I’m ready
yet I can’t believe it’s true

Someone pinch me
someone wake me
to this life that I am living
to this smile that I am giving
to myself

I am no longer burdened
by a spirit of heaviness
I am strengthened from within
by a touch from without
I see everything differently
I face life…straight on

We should not lump all of Jewish teaching on the reaction of the synagogue leader who rather than rejoicing in the healing of this woman, is irate.
Who by speaking for the theologically and liturgically orthodox, criticizes Jesus for going to work on the Sabbath.

Jesus responds that whenever someone is in great pain and suffering, we embody the meaning of the Sabbath when we become agents of healing.
The Sabbath is made for rest, and it is also made for showing God’s love through acts of care and hospitality.
The text tells us that those present (Jews at synagogue) rejoiced at the wonderful things they saw Jesus doing

We are fortunate in many ways in our culture, but we are burdened, too.
For example, many children in our society are as pressed down as the bent-over woman with schedules that leave them no time to play or to just "be" with their families, friends, and nature itself.
And there are many children within 20 miles of here who live with the burden of poverty which presses down on them
And there are the men and women of color across our country bent over with the fear of being stopped by the police — mother and
We as adults are often over scheduled, and our health and the well-being of our families, our churches, and our communities are affected.
If we are bent over by worries then we cannot be a force for God’s good in a world in desperate need of our care.

I want to invite you to begin with Sunday, just to begin with Sunday, as a time of peace and rest, but even more, as a time to immerse ourselves in the promises of God, the promises that sustain us each day, during "regular" time, too.
As the bent-over woman's gaze was "lifted up" to God in praise, perhaps our perspective, too, will be raised and will lead us to new and deeper faithfulness and praise.
To new acts of showing God’s love in care and hospitality.
To live lives that are straightened out. Amen


Resources:
http://www.ucc.org/worship_samuel_sermon_seeds_august_21_2016
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/livingaholyadventure/2016/08/the-adventurous-lectionary-pentecost-14-august-21-2016/

Meditation for August 14, 2016 delivered in Fairport NY-- following the Baptism of twin boys.

Hebrews 11:29-12:2 (p. 274 NT)
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace. And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets - who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented - of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.


Meditation
Brothers and Sisters there is NO quick shortcut to raising children or to learning our Christian faith.
The writer of Hebrews reminds us that real human change usually isn't fast, nor does it happen in a straight line.
Real transformation usually requires a slower, meandering path that is rocky and difficult at times
The path of faith, says the writer, requires patience and perseverance.

I have had church folks tell me they don’t like studying the OT— to which I remind them that 60% of our brief NT is a retelling of OT Stories—this rings true in our passage from Hebrews today.
Hebrews 11 is often called the "faith chapter" because the writer uses the history of Israel as an example of the kind of slow-moving progress that many followers of Jesus make in striving for Christlike holiness.
These “super heroes" of the faith have their flaws, to be sure, and their mistakes and missteps may be as familiar to us as their triumphs.
All of them were on the way to somewhere, but never fully reached their destination.

Take the people of Israel and their journey from Egypt, for example.
After the miracle at the Red Sea, it took 40 years of wandering in the desert before finally reaching the promised land (v. 29).
It was only "by faith" that they kept following God and Moses, and that faith was not immune to difficulty.
The journey came with storms of hardship and deprivation.
When they finally reached the land promised by God, they had to practice patience in marching around Jericho for seven days, waiting for God to act on their behalf (v. 30).
Even then, their intel came from Rahab, a lady of the evening, who had enough faith to trust a God she had never known, despite the risk to her own life (v. 31).

The list of those who took the long journey of faith reveals that the ride is never smooth.
There was Gideon, who had to trust that God wasn't setting him up when God told him to send home an army and, instead, defeat the enemy with 300 guys carrying some clay pots and torches.
Barak didn't move on a similar enemy without partnering with Deborah, a woman called by God.
Samson was a lunk-headed playboy who got in trouble over a haircut and yet trusted God to do the right thing through him in the end.
Jephthah made a unnecessary and rash vow that lead to the needless death of his daughter by his own hand.
David defeated Goliath with a sling and stone, but then blew it with Bathsheba.
Samuel was a good leader, except in his own household.

Despite all this dysfunction, fear and bad decision-making, God was able to use each of these flawed super heroes to preserve God’s people.
It was their faith and perseverance, and not their innate ability, that enabled them to be used by God.
It was "through faith" that they "conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight" (vv. 32-34).

The writer goes on to a long list of the hardships endured by people who took the journey of faith.

- They suffered death, torture and imprisonment.
- They suffered extreme poverty and persecution.
- They wandered through deserts and mountains, sleeping in caves and holes in the ground (vv. 36-38).          

Their character and faith development was neither fast nor easy.
The end of the journey wasn't completely clear (v. 39), and yet God was setting them up for a destination even better than they could imagine (v. 40).

Given the faithful example of this "great cloud of witnesses," the writer of Hebrews urges us to let go of our desire for the quick fix and the weight of sin that tends to slow us down.
We are urged instead, to "run with perseverance the race that is set before us" (12:1).
The life of faith is a process of being nudged along by God, who walks with us every step of the way.

The ultimate example of this, says the writer, is Jesus.
Jesus is the spiritual leader who pioneers and perfects the way of faith, having tested it in his own life on earth as the fully human incarnation of the fully divine God (v. 2).
Jesus understood the destination of life to be a place of "joy" —
In Jesus, heaven and earth come closer to each other.
To bring that about, however, he endured the cross and its accompanying stigma of shame and failure.
But we know that while Jesus' journey toward Calvary was about as slow and painful as a journey gets, it actually led to our redemption and his enthronement at the right hand of God, from where he will come to unite heaven and earth once and for all (v. 2).

And so, the writer says, consider the difficulty of Jesus' journey of faith on our behalf, "so that you may not grow weary or lose heart" (v. 3).
Jesus endured the hostility of sinners, the pain of crucifixion, the hurt of betrayal, and the weight of the world's sin all the way to the cross.
If Jesus could do that for us, suggests the writer, then we, too, can endure faithful suffering on behalf of Christ.

In a world that always looks for the path of least resistance, the path of faith looks dangerous and difficult.
Jesus rids us of that notion, reminding us that following him requires the mindset of a marathon runner with all the accompanying pain and sweat, rather than that of a sprinter.

The Christian life is best sustained slowly and steadily through faith in the midst of challenges.
It's about patience and about the winding way of the cross rather than the straight line of desire for human progress.
Whatever you are going through today, know that you can endure it in faith because Jesus walks through it with you.
Christ is able to "sympathize with our weaknesses," so let us approach his throne of grace with boldness, "so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (4:15). Amen

Resources: http://www.homileticsonline.com/subscriber/btl_display.asp?installment_id=93040980