Logos -- Luke 13:10-17

One of the lectionary readings for this week is Luke 13:10-17. Knowing that this is Monday, and wondering what to write about, I went to the Worship helps at GBOD -- great resource.
Reading that site's information about Luke 13 led me to see things in the passage that I hadn't noticed before.

We shouldn't forget that this person who was healed was a woman. In our day and time that might not have made much of a difference in the passage, but in Jesus' time it certainly did. She would have had at least two strikes against her -- she was a woman, and would have had to stay in the back of the synagogue, silent, if she had been admitted at all. She was unclean, because of her disease. She was definitely "one of the least of these."

Jesus is up front, teaching, in the place of honor, but what does he do? He spoke to her, touched her and healed her. He elevated her, from the least of these to the place of honor, healed by God. It just illustrates once again, if we need to have it pointed out to us, that Jesus didn't care about "station" or standing.

What happened once she was healed? She began praising God. She spoke, and yet she was not allowed to speak in the synagogue. Don't you know of churches where women are not allowed to speak in the sanctuary, lest they be accused of teaching men? And haven't you heard that this is supposedly supported biblically? Perhaps in this passage, we see how Jesus would react to such misguided legalism in our churches. Can't you just imagine him, smiling at the healing of this woman, celebrating with her, being pleased in her reaction of praise? Don't you think such praise is instructive to all who were present, men and women alike?

The religious men who were present accused Jesus of breaking the law and healing on the Sabbath. Do you think that was their only concern? I don't. As pointed out by the worship helps at GBOD, they were probably also upset because Jesus had upset the status quo -- not just healing when they thought it shouldn't be done, but also speaking to the woman, valuing her, touching her, approaching her, and leading her to praise. "Don't bother me, Jesus, I'm perfectly happy to be in this place of honor. I don't even want to acknowledge the 'least of these.'"

I was struck by the legalism in the passage. So many rules, and the mixed up priorities of the leaders in the synagogue. Do we do that? Do we allow our own priorities to override those that Jesus would have us to follow? Do we value what people wear on Sunday more than the people themselves? Would we choose to be less than welcoming to someone if that person sat in our traditional spot in the pew? Do we value our traditions -- the way we have always done things -- over the way God wants us to do things now? What are the laws that we place before grace?

How are we the woman who needs healed? What cripples us in service to God? Jesus says to us, "Come here."

He will touch us, and cure us, if we let him. We will hear him say, "You are set free." Hopefully, he will smile at our praise.