Gospel

Luke 13:10-17

Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath.

And a woman was there who for eighteen years

had been crippled by a spirit;

she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.

When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said,

"Woman, you are set free of your infirmity."

He laid his hands on her,

and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.

But the leader of the synagogue,

indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath,

said to the crowd in reply,

"There are six days when work should be done.

Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day."

The Lord said to him in reply, "Hypocrites!

Does not each one of you on the sabbath

untie his ox or his ass from the manger

and lead it out for watering?

This daughter of Abraham,

whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now,

ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day

from this bondage?"

When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated;

and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.

Reflection

What really strikes me about this particular passage is the way in which the woman, who is burdened by the power of sin, was bent over, unable to stand erect. It's a beautiful image of the way in which Jesus is trying to describe to all of us that there was a burden on people before Jesus died and rose, a burden of evil that had stronger power over them.

And once Jesus died on the cross that power was limited. Cut way back. And so Jesus is so anxious for people to understand what he's about to give to them. And so frustrated by those who resisted, who claimed it can't happen.

Closing Prayer

Father, awaken us to the gifts that you have won for us, especially the power we have over those things that would rob us of life. You died for us. You gave up your life so we might have a fuller life here with you. Bless us with that awareness. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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