October 26
Freed From Your Infirmity
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Today’s Gospel:
Luke 13:10-17
(Freed From Your
Infirmity)
“Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your infirmity." And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and she praised God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day." Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger, and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?" As he said this, all his adversaries were put to shame; and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.”
Reflection:
Picture a woman who has spent eighteen years bent over, unable to look
anyone in the eye or see much beyond her own feet, and then imagine Jesus
noticing her in the middle of a crowded synagogue, calling her over without
being asked, and telling her she is free. She stood up straight and praised God
right there on the spot, and I think that is exactly what His Word does when we
let it in, because it doesn’t just comfort us for a moment; it actually changes
who we are. God’s mercy never takes a day off, and so I’d ask you to consider
what has been breaking you lately, whether it’s a worry you can’t shake, a
grudge you’ve carried too long, or a schedule so packed that there’s no room
left to sit with our Lord. Jesus sees you in that place just as clearly as He
saw her, and always know that He is calling you by name.
Now think about the ruler of the synagogue, who watched a woman everyone knew
walk out healed after nearly two decades of suffering and responded with anger
because Jesus had done it on the wrong day. It’s hard to believe, but he cared
more about protecting his rules than celebrating a miracle that was standing
right in front of him. Before we shake our heads at him, though, we should be
honest that we do something very similar whenever we explain away what God is
doing in our lives, or stay comfortable because change would cost us something,
or look right past the evidence because it’s easier than admitting that He is
at work. Jesus doesn’t need our permission to heal anyone, and all He asks is
that we not stand in His way.
So, keep your eyes open, because God is working in your ordinary days more than
you realize, whether it was the test result that came back clear, the near miss
on the highway that could have been so much worse, or the phone call that came
at exactly the right moment and made you look up and whisper, “Thank you,
Jesus.” Those moments aren't coincidences, and once you start noticing Him in them, you won’t be able to keep it to yourself, which is a good thing, because
your story might be exactly what helps someone else finally stand up straight. It is Beneath the Standard of Mary; we learn to say yes, as Mary did, trusting that the Son she carried is the One who lifts us out of whatever binds us and longs to do the same for every person we love.
What is breaking you right now, and what would it take to let Jesus call
you out of it today? Where have you seen His hand at work in your life
recently, and have you stopped to thank Him for it? And who do you know who is
still broken and needs to hear your story this week?
Rosary Man Jim 🌹
Freely given. Freely
shared.
