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Sermon for 08/26/07 How to get straight in a crooked world! – Pentecost 12 – Luke 13:10-17 Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, AMEN Main Theme: Some people believe everyone can be physically healed if they have enough faith. Today a bent over woman was healed and she stood straight and gave glory to God. But the healing Jesus came to inflict upon the world above any other - was a spiritual cure. He promised us the gifts that would help us straighten out our souls, heal our broken spirits, and occasionally, heal our bodies. Jesus focuses on healing our souls, so that we too might stand up straight ….and glorify God, both here on earth and eternally. The “Good News” is that Jesus heals people. Jesus heals them spiritually, He heals them emotionally, and occasionally He heals them physically. Jesus comes that you and I may do just that: Stand straight and give Glory to God!
1) DOES JESUS HEAL? Years ago, a friend of mine who had lupus, a serious disease, bumped into group of Pentecostals who decided to lay hands upon her and pray for healing. Moments later, when it was evident that nothing miraculous had happened, my friend was informed that the reason the healing did not take place, was a lack of real faith. As they left, they quoted Matthew 17:20 where Jesus said, “…if you had a faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” My friend’s failure to be cured disturbed her so deeply that she sought our pastor out, tormented with questions about faith and healing. Now, if you were her pastor, what would you have told my friend about healing? Does Jesus heal? Absolutely, we say! In today’s Gospel Jesus heals a woman bent over and crippled for 18 years! But where does the faith of the individual come into the picture?
2) FAITH OR NO FAITH? Remember when another woman who had been hemorrhaging for 12 years reached out and touched Jesus’ robe in the crowded streets? She was instantly healed, and Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well.” (Matt 9:20) Another time, we read about some men who could not get close enough to Jesus because of the crowds, and so they climbed on top of the building and lowered their paralytic friend through a hole in the roof. Was it the sick person’s faith that impressed Jesus? No, it was the faith of his friends that caused Jesus to heal the man. In fact, there are many occasions when Jesus heals people that did not ask to be healed, such as some who were emotionally ill or mad, (or ‘demon possessed’ as they said in those days), …or the time He raised a boy from the dead at no one’s request. Healing sometimes has a great deal to do with faith, and other times it has nothing to do with that person’s personal faith.
3) JESUS HEALS! If we can come to any conclusions - it is simply this: Jesus heals. That’s what He does - He heals people! The key here is to remember that He heals people spiritually, He heals people emotionally, and occasionally, Jesus heals people physically. Now note I stressed the word occasionally. Jesus, while here on this earth, was constantly moved through His loving compassion for the sick, the crippled, and those with the need for physical cures. Yes, Jesus heals, but you’ll notice Jesus physically healed relatively few in a land saturated with suffering. And when He did, His focus and compassion sought out more than physical cures. The healing Jesus came to inflict upon the world (above any other) - was a spiritual cure. That which Christ longs to heal beyond anything else is the broken or wounded soul! Does anyone believe that when Jesus heals in the Gospel, these miracles were done just to show off His divine power? No! Jesus heals hoping the physical healing will lead to the spiritual cure of broken and bent-over hearts!
4) GLORIFY GOD! Our example today is typical: Luke 13:12 - “He saw her,… He called to her,…” verse 13, “He laid hands on her,… and she stood up straight,” …but the cure He was hoping for was not the physical only, rather the spiritual. And verse 13 says she not only stood up, but what? She began praising God! Another version says she glorified God! NOW the healing is complete! This bent over, crooked woman had not only been made straight in “posture”, she’s been made straight in soul as well. Jesus was intent on the deeper cure, of which the bodily cure may or may not be a visible sign. So let’s ask a difficult question: When we pray to be “cured” is it just to be rid of discomfort, or in order to “Glorify God”?
5) PROMISE! One thing’s for sure: it is Jesus who has the power and desire to heal! We cannot straighten our bodies …or our souls by ourselves! We re-visited the truth last Sunday - that God did not create the brokenness and suffering in this world; we did when we turned our back on Him! As a result we are bent-over crooked people in a bent-over crooked world. Understandably, God has never promised Christians a rose garden, cut off from the brokenness of the outside world or from the sin that we ourselves create. But He did promise us the love, strength, courage, wisdom, and hope to endure. He promised to help us straighten out our souls, repair our broken spirits, and occasionally, heal our bodies. And He makes these amazing promises while reminding us that it is our souls that have the potential to be eternal, not our bodies! Every one of our bodies will weaken, die, and decay, but our spirits have the potential to live forever! That’s why Jesus’ promises focus primarily on healing our souls, so that we too might stand up straight ….and glorify God - both here on earth and eternally.
6) FAITH FORMULA? So Pastor, does our faith have nothing to do with healing? No, I didn’t say that, I said simply that all healing is from God, and an individual’s faith may or may not have a direct effect on the results. God’s healing power cannot be placed into a convenient formula to be controlled at our discretion. It is enough to know that the Son of God and Savior of the world - heals: spiritually, emotionally, and sometimes physically.
7) DIS-EASE! Have you noticed that the “medical” world is finally catching on to what the church has always known: Jesus heals. And… that the body, and soul cannot be treated as separated entities. Illness is often, though not always, …but is often an experience of the whole organism, often signaling a need for change “beyond the physical,” nudging the entire organism to return to wholeness. My doctor guesses that 60-80 percent of his client’s illnesses are the direct result of their souls or minds being diseased, or if we separate the word, “dis-eased”, that is - not at ease. Many heart problems, backaches, migraine headaches, etc., are caused because of the influential connection the “dis-eased” mind or stressed soul has on the body. If we only attempt to straighten out the body and not the soul, if we only cure the physical symptoms without paying attention to the emotional and spiritual cause of our crookedness, then our medical intervention will ultimately be inadequate… because the underlying “dis-ease” will continue to manifest itself in stronger and louder ways until it is finally cared for, …or until death intervenes.
8) BODY AND SOUL! As we explore this important “connection” between the body and soul; ask yourself - who do you turn to first when you are sick? Is it Jesus? Or do we rush first to the scientifically trained professionals and medical technology and depend solely on them to diagnose our illness and to prescribe surgery or medications? Now don’t get me wrong, when used correctly I believe medical people and interventions are truly blessings from God - for all healing comes from God. But it is often incomplete healing. Complete healing includes both body and soul! Ponder this: How many of us found the time during our last sickness to pray, really pray? How many of us intentionally sought out spiritual intervention and guidance in order to return our body and soul to a state of wholeness? How many of us seek help to look beyond the physical implications of our illness, to discover if our “dis-ease” is trying to tell us something important about our mind or spirit? Is it rational to expect physicians, therapists, or nurse practitioners to be able to cure the results of an spiritually unhealthy lifestyle that we are not willing to examine or change ourselves? Only Jesus can heal the both body AND soul!
9) TRANSGRESSIONS! Not all sickness is due to a spiritual dis-ease, but it is amazing how many of us do suffer physically because of our weaknesses and transgressions. Ever observed work-a-holics loose sleep, relationships, and their health as a result of their obsession? I knew a young lady who suffered crippling migraines while she was involved in an adulterous affair. Ever saw people choose careers because of the money made, though they hated the job and experienced constant stress or ulcers? Ever observed insecurities or fears leading to addictions that fill clean lungs with black smoke, …or brain cells destroyed because of drugs or alcohol? Ever saw young girls dealing with a sense of incompleteness and lack of self-esteem fall into the bondage of anorexia or obesity? Many of us suffer physically because of our weaknesses and transgressions.
10) SPIRITUAL! Unless we are as willing to examine ourselves spiritually, how can we expect a doctor to completely heal us? As people of faith we need to believe that Christ wants us to be whole, but we need to turn and “find the time” to spend in dialogue with Jesus, as well as the doctor. Ironically, we find the time to take pills or penicillin, but we find no time to receive His spiritual healing! Sure, your body is a miracle and worthy of constant examination and cure, but your soul is a far greater miracle and a spiritual wonder that Jesus holds precious and chooses to primarily focus upon! When your body and spirit are painfully bent-over, Jesus is there to heal both. Why? So, like the woman in the Gospel, you can once again stand up straight and praise God! Complete and eternal wholeness rests on receiving the Spiritual healing that your loving Savior longs to give you!
11) GIVE UP/TAP INTO! Ironically many of us are aware of the Lord’s healing, but choose not to tap into it. Why? Because it isn’t always easy to give up the burdens that cripple us. Sometimes we’re afraid to give up our brokenness because it’s the only constant in our life. We’re afraid to give up everything we know as “normal” - even if it is killing us. We won’t allow ourselves to trust or tap into the healing power God offers us. (My own mom spend her final years being wheeled outside by nurses to have a cigarette, and then brought back in to be placed on oxygen in order to breathe.) How many of us become ill because we ignore the Sabbath needs of resting and renewing both body and spirit? How many of us are ill because we insist on carrying certain burdens, guilt, and shame? How many of us become ill because we choose damaging behaviors in order to obtain “human approval”? Are there burdens crippling you that you need to give up? Christ calls you now to tap into His precious gift of healing!
12) PRAYER! Believe me , no one understands more than me how we can become careless about our own renewal and refreshment, (not realizing that, as our strength declines and fatigue grows, we are steadily diminishing God’s ability to work through us.) Ironically, the secular world is examining the spiritual sources of healing, even while many Christians aren’t. The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson now studies “Alternative Medicines”, one of which is prayer. In scientific studies, prayer has been shown to lower blood pressure. Even more impressively, religious folks have been found to live longer than agnostics and atheists. One recent study has shown that heart patients are less likely to die when designated family members pray for them, even when these heart patients do not realize they are being prayed for. Are you tapped into the healing power of prayer?
13) BENT OUT OF SHAPE! I’m glad that medical science is curiously flirting with what the church has known all along: Jesus heals people. Jesus heals us spiritually, He heals us emotionally, and occasionally He heals us physically. Healing is what Jesus does. And yet some people, including believers, will never get that. In the passage of scripture today we actually ran into two people who were “bent out of shape”; one was a woman who was physically “bent out of shape” and the other was a religious leader, who was spiritually “bent out of shape”. He was crippled by a spirit of legalism and bitterness. Jesus was able to help the woman, but the religious leader stayed “bent out of shape.”
14) LEGALISTS! You see, the religious leader was a legalist. He was upset that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. (Seems like legalists don’t enjoy their faith–and they don’t want anyone else to enjoy it either.) A legalist is someone whose list of rules is longer than God’s and they want to impose their list of rules and regulations on others. Max Lucado wrote: “Legalism has no pity on people. Legalism makes my opinion your burden, makes my opinion your boundary, makes my opinion your obligation. Nothing will keep a Christian more immature than trying to keep a long list of rules.” Legalists fail to understand that GOD’S LAWS AREN’T TO TIE YOU DOWN, BUT TO SET YOU FREE! See, Jesus reminded believers that the Sabbath was made for humankind – we were not made for the Sabbath. But the legalists of this world mistakenly believe that rules are more important than people! They couldn’t be more mistaken, and as a result they remain bent over and broken themselves.
15) RULES? Now some might ask, “Aren’t God’s rules important?” Sure they are – but more important than the rules are the reasons, (the motivation), behind those rules. Let me ask you: why is learning to ride a bike so hard? It’s because you have to learn balance. You know why a bicycle can’t stand up without a kickstand? Because it’s two tired. (ooohh, sorry about that one) But learning to ride a bike involves attaining balance on two wheels. When my daughters were learning, we bought them little bicycles with training wheels to keep them from falling over. Training wheels made it easier to learn how to balance the bike. God’s laws are like training wheels. They help you as you begin to learn how to balance freedom with responsibility. But training wheels on a bike are only temporary. When Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France, I didn’t see any training wheels on his bicycle, did you? As you grow as a Christian you can learn how to balance your life on God’s two primary commands: love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself! You won’t need the training wheels of all the rules and regulations of the Bible. A legalist however, is still using training wheels. Jesus said “Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free!” (John 8:32) He looked at this bent over woman and with loving compassion ignored legalist “rule interpretation” to free her - that she could stand up straight and give glory to God on the Sabbath!
16) TIRING? NOT ALONE! Now admittedly, it can be uncomfortable and tiring to stand spiritually upright after years of being crippled and trapped. And yes, it is tiring and uncomfortable to create new and healthy habits. And yes, it is tiring to take responsibility for your choices and participation in your healing rather than expecting others to do it for you, but the good news is - you do not have to do it alone. Your Savior is here today because He truly cares about you, not just your physical health, but more importantly your spiritual and eternal health. And He is inviting and empowering you and I to accept His gift of freedom from any “dis-ease” that keep us from being made spiritually whole. You are not alone!
17) WE! And we, in turn, are called to declare this amazing news to others around us! We are to express the SAME loving attitude as Jesus, to those who may be hurting in life. We need to stop and help, and not proceed with everyday indifference. We need to compassionately share with others that there is hope for those who are hurting; because God has not forgotten them and He is not indifferent to their pain! This Holy Place we stand in today is meant to be a spiritual hospital where we invite those in need of healing to meet the divine doctor …the Holy Physician who has the healing powers and desire to lay hands on their bent over hearts and lives in order to straighten them - that they too may give Glory to God!
18) HEALED SOULS! It’s been 20 some years since my friend contracted lupus, and while it’s been a physical thorn in her side, (as the Apostle Paul used to describe his own physical handicap), her soul has been, and continues to be healed. My friend teaches at Grace Lutheran’s preschool and her ministry touches the lives of countless children. And now she knows, that the healing Jesus came to deliver to the world above any other - was a spiritual cure. That which Christ longs to heal beyond anything else is the broken or wounded soul. That which Jesus longs most “to straighten” is a bent and crooked heart so that we too can bring Glory to God! Are you standing straight and living a life that gives glory to God? Does your soul need healing?
19) STAND STRAIGHT/GIVE GLORY! Today Jesus comes that you may receive the gift the bent-over woman received: the ability to stand straight and give Glory to God for His healing powers! Rejoice, because unless you choose to reject it, Jesus the great doctor is eager to heal you now - sometimes physically, but always spiritually. Healing: It’s what Jesus does best. Like the bent-over woman in the Gospel, receive the healing of the Holy Spirit into your heart now, and let us stand up straight and give glory to God. Praise God! AMEN!
Children’s Sermon:
“A daughter complained to her father about how hard things were for her. "As
soon as I solve one problem," she said, "another one comes up. I’m tired of
struggling."
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