Weekly Liturgy : August 18-24
- Church@thePark
- Aug 18
- 3 min read
Luke 13 : 10-17
NIV Translation
On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 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.
Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”
The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”
When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
REFLECTIONS
In this story, Sabbath, an ancient concept around rest and freedom and health, is distorted to mean that someone can be left to suffer. As is often the case, the ones doing the distorting do not actually have any skin in the game. They are well off financially, socially, politically, and they likely will never need anything from this system that they have created.
It’s not much different from how the people who are shaping our current political and economic reality are safely ensconced in a cocoon of comfort that is far removed from the lived realities of the majority of the world. They aren’t shopping for milk, worrying about health insurance, or wondering about their place in the world.
And we often do the same thing with those in need of help. Today, we hear about the “deserving'“ and “undeserving” poor. Before people can get help with housing or healthcare, they need to demonstrate that they have lived a perfect life and are deserving of the care that they so desperately need. (Nevermind the fact that none of us have lived a “perfect life,” whatever that even means.)
With homelessness, there are criteria that need to be met before we can begin to help people — Have they committed any crimes? Disqualified. Have they said no to help from a group or an agency? Disqualified. Do they self-medicate? Disqualified. Are they asking for help in a way that comes across as aggressive and demanding? Disqualified.
Jesus, throughout this story that Luke is telling, wants to turn things upside down and inside out. The world that Jesus is inviting us to create is one where the voice of the “have-nots” carries more weight than the rich and powerful people.
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
The woman in this story was unable to stand up tall. People would have been looking at the top of her head. Her being hunched over would have been the most real thing about her.
Is there someone in your life that is seen and judged based on a physical characteristic?
The story tells us that Jesus “sees” this woman, implying that he sees all of her and not just her “infirmity.”
How can you see beyond that person’s physical characteristics?
Non-Violent Communication Question of the Week
This week, when you meet someone new, give them a chance to move beyond your first impression of them.
Pathways toward Centeredness
The ability to truly see another human being requires perception and vision.
Before you sit down for a meeting or a meal with someone, take 5 minutes to center and prepare yourself.
Questions for Reflection
According to one therapist, “we either contemplate or we exploit.” We either treat people as human beings, created in the image of God, or we slip into treating them as objects or vehicles.
Pick a human being, or two, to contemplate this week. Don’t be weird about it.
“Liturgy” refers to the habits and practices humans use to form community around shared values and meaning. At Church at the Park, we desire to be a community of practice, becoming people who see the world through the eyes of the marginalized, making meaning through the lens of pain and suffering, and committing ourselves to non-violence in a wounded world. This weekly email is intended to provide pathways of practice for becoming the type of people who embody these values.
Many of our reflections on each week's text come from other sources. If you're interested in reading more of what inspires us, here our our two favorite reflections.
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