DATE POSTED: Wednesday, 2023-04-12
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 13:13-17
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹³ Jesus placed His hands on her and suddenly she could stand straight again. She started praising God, ¹⁴ but the synagogue official was indignant because Jesus had not kept their Sabbath regulations by performing this healing.
Synagogue Official: Look, there are six other days when it’s appropriate to get work done. Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath!
Jesus: ¹⁵ You religious leaders are such hypocrites! Every single one of you unties his ox or donkey from its manger every single Sabbath Day, and then you lead it out to get a drink of water, right? ¹⁶ Do you care more about your farm animals than you care about this woman, one of Abraham’s daughters, oppressed by Satan for 18 years? Can’t we untie her from her oppression on the Sabbath?
¹⁷ As the impact of His words settled in, His critics were humiliated, but everyone else loved what Jesus said and celebrated everything He was doing.

OBSERVATION: What do you suppose your Pharisees (church leaders) would say about a demon possessed woman walking into your church? Now think good, she may disrupt the service with loud or weird sounds; she may smell from not having a bath for several weeks; she may not know how to use the pew Bible or sing from the hymnal; she may not know how to act from all the eyes centered on her with obvious signs of people looking down their noses at her; and she may even go forward when the pastor makes an altar call. Not your typical attendee, but can you compose yourself if something like this happened at your church?

APPLICATION: For some reason, we seem to find it challenging to identify with, and accept, someone if they speak different to us, come from a different country, dress differently to us or perhaps look different to us. Similarly, we are challenged to accept fellow Christians if they worship on a different day to us; baptize differently; more, or less, charismatic than we are; use a different version of the Bible than we do; or dress differently to us, especially while attending church. In other words, we have built a ‘box’ into which all Christians must fit into and adhere to. But wait a minute, what if God had placed sinners into a box and He would only accept you if you fit that mold? Would your parents, relatives or yourself have been accepted by Jesus? I believe that Jesus specializes in the needs of men and women that He created. Yes, God rested on the 7th day, and He commanded that we also do the same throughout our day of worship. Do needs cease on our day of worship? Why then do you suppose that the Jewish leaders have such a problem with God meeting the needs of this woman on the Sabbath? This was outside their ‘box’, or their rules for the Sabbath day. Still today we will find where church leaders become humiliated and upset when things do not follow the ‘box’ they have built for church members and/or worshippers. I firmly believe that when one comes into the presence of Almighty God, and they connect with Him in a very personal way, no other earthly rules or efforts tend to matter. Remember the blind man that laid wait for Jesus along the road He was about to travel? In spite of the commands from the disciples who tried to keep the roadway clear, the man knew that Jesus was within hearing distance of his cries, so he shouted all the more. Of particular notice, is that in spite of this man looking different to all the rest, and the needs that he had were great, yet Jesus commanded that the man be brought closer to Him. Jesus was concerned about the needs of the man. Please join me in asking God to help us see the spiritual needs of someone before we ever decide to ridicule or reject them for their attire, their lack of hygiene, or even their language. We must always remember that one seeking the hand of Jesus, may not be one concerned about our handouts or even our rules. Let’s be sure that we never stand in the way of someone finding Jesus, or asking for His touch.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Just as the crowd rejoiced in what Jesus said (vs 17), perhaps we too should rejoice and praise God for all that He has taught us in His Word, and for His wisdom shared with us daily as we communicate together.

PRAYER: Just as some (the religious leaders) were upset over Jesus’ actions in healing the woman, we can see how others praised God for the awesome power in restoring this ladies issue. The church today still encounters situations that could result in disagreement, arguments and possibly even division, yet some will be blessed in seeing the strong hand of God in their life and the lives of the church. When rules are broken, it becomes challenging to see the good in the work of God even under extenuating circumstances. Oh that we would learn to look for the hand of God at work among us, knowing that this could be through negative or positive responses in the lives of His people. Let us learn to say ‘blessed be the name of the Lord’ when we see answers that we expect, AND if God chooses alternate ways to answer in the power of His will, for His honor, and for the benefit of the affected one. God is in charge of everything, let us honor and worship Him with that truth in mind! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!