First Presbyterian Church of Hallock, Minn.

Luke 13:10-17

Another Perspective

Like Luke said, I’m the leader of the synagogue, have been for years now. I teach there every sabbath — done it all my working life. It took me twenty years to work up to the top manager position. (There’s no “owner” after all, except God.) I’m the leader of this synagogue, esteemed by my colleagues, respected in the community. I teach in the synagogue on the sabbath because, well, God has called me to teach and the community concurs. I’ve earned my good reputation over many years of dedicated hard work. I don’t appreciate rabble-rousing. I run a tight ship in my synagogue, no young upstarts allowed, no funny business. We teach God’s law — it’s as simple as that.

So when this Jesus of Nazareth character starts teaching in my synagogue, sure, I kept an ear to the ground. I mean, we have guest teachers from time to time — that’s ok. You know as well as I do how hard it is to fill-out those volunteer rosters sometimes. Guest teachers are one thing though, this Jesus guy is something else. We don’t let just anyone teach in the synagogue. We watch what they say. We have standards — God’s standards. We don’t want anyone contradicting God’s word. Our father Moses knew what he was up to; the holy prophets can’t be disrespected.

Everything was going fine that sabbath day, fine until Jesus got up on his high horse and healed that woman. The audacity! The immorality! I still can’t believe that blatant law-breaking happened here, in my temple!

So he was there — over in that corner — teaching as Jesus is apt to do. I don’t remember what he was saying exactly, but he met eyes with this woman (she’s sort of a shady character actually, you know what they say about her Dad and old Ms. Doyle). So Jesus looked her in the eye, and you could see this spark go off in that sinful mind of his. Jesus called her over to him and said something like, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” And he touched her! I still can’t get over that part! Clear as day: no morals at all.

Can you believe this guy? What am I saying, I know you can’t. You know as well as me: Jesus is unbelievable, rude beyond any rudeness. He caused shame upon my leadership and all who call this temple home.

I mean, sure, this woman was ill — she was really bent over, stooped down almost ninety degrees and couldn’t straighten her back. But, I mean, she was always like that. That’s how God made her. They say it was eighteen years she’s been stooped. Eighteen years and nobody made a fuss. Why, God, why did you have to let Jesus’ sin ruin our temple?

I mean, she didn’t, after all, ask Jesus to heal her. What was the rush? What was the fuss? Why did he pick her? Why did he pick here? Who does Jesus think he is destroying our reputation like that?

Surely you noticed: the woman didn’t even confess her faith in God. Who knows what sin she or her parents committed to make her back bent like that. Who knows what she really believed or if she followed the law. These young bucks like Jesus are always about speed and never about safety. You know the type: young people rushing ahead without thinking things through, acting on impulse, disrespecting their elders, not bothering to consider the consequences of their actions. Young folks, these days.

Sure, I got mad. I admit it. Maybe a little too angry, now that I look back on things. But let’s be clear here: Jesus healed on the sabbath. Jesus committed a sin, plain and simple. We’ve had the commandments for hundreds of years. God Godself took a rest on the seventh day after making creation (read it yourself in Genesis 2). And in Deuteronomy 5 the Sabbath commandment is as plain as plain can be. Observe the sabbath day, God says, and keep it holy. God delivered us from slavery in Egypt. God’s faithfulness passes all human understanding. The least of which we can do, to thank God, to praise God in return, is to follow the straightforward plain-and-simple commandments God gives. This isn’t fire-powered-chariot science. It’s God’s law.

If you ask me, it comes down to this: do you accept the Bible or not. I mean, it’s there in clear black and white: honor the sabbath and keep it holy. What’s unclear about that? I know it’s the cool thing, these days, to wiggle out of God’s commandments — taking the Bible seriously, but not literally, they say. Yeah, some people say God didn’t specifically address how to honor the sabbath, so we’ve got to use our brains to figure things out. Some people talk about the “law of love” and how we’ve got to use that whenever we read the Bible. Some people say their experience of God’s goodness expands their understanding of scripture beyond the supposedly “narrow view” of others.

But I say that’s a slippery slope. As soon as you let people heal on the sabbath, they are going to throw out the baby with the bathwater and forget the other nine commandments.

There it is. In this Bible right here. Plain as day. Observe the sabbath and keep it holy. But people want to sneak out of God’s justice, making exceptions for themselves or their friends. Can’t you see? Jesus is leading you astray. Jesus is trying to get you to add to the Bible, to follow whatever feels good. Jesus is trying to turn this society upside-down and I won’t allow it. God gave us the rules in the Bible, and that’s that.

I know Jesus argued with me. He’s sneaky like that, asking for public debates and all. He’s just such a celebrity and I’m just an old leader of a synagogue. (Let’s be honest, this is a PR nightmare for me and the board.) Sure, Jesus convinced the crowds this time, using that weak argument about how since it’s ok to untie our animals on the sabbath, it’s ok to unbind this lady from her disease. He may have won the battle, but I’ll win the war. I mean, think what horrible things could happen if Jesus gets his way.

What if people keep following Jesus and reinterpreting the scriptures? What if people listen to his crazy instructions and turn the world upside down — that “blessed are the merciful” or “blessed are the persecuted” stuff. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it’s God’s business who God forgives, and a life following God leads to blessing, not hardship or persecution. What if people stop listening to the religious authorities and start taking their faith in their own hands?

Oh. Oh my goodness. I can’t bear to think about it. What if people start believing Jesus is the Messiah? What if — no, it couldn’t happen — what if…what if… they call him Lord? ….what would happen then?