| Don’t invite Jesus to your church! At least, don’t expect him to show up and not do Jesus-y things. You’ll need to prepare yourself. Oh, it sounds like a wonderful thing to worship with our Lord. And I’m sure it was. Many people rejoiced when they had a chance. Others who did not. Jesus had been teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. A woman approached him who was cripple. For eighteen years “she was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight” (Luke 13:11). Jesus recognized her bondage. He even acknowledged it was Satan who bound her. So, he healed her. The leader of the synagogue did not appreciate that. He told the rest of the people to seek healing any other day of the week, not on the sabbath. Of course, our Lord himself was not bound by such coldness. And most of the people who heard him that day were happy to hear such good news. That God desired their healing. I hope I would have been one who recognized what Jesus was doing in the moment. If I saw Jesus heal a woman on the sabbath, I like to think I would have rejoiced. It wouldn’t have bothered me that Jesus broke the sabbath rule. After all, someone was in need, and he challenged religious hypocrisy. But what if he would have touched a closer religious nerve of mine? We may not put it in such terms, but faith is easier when we can control God. At least, it seems easier. No, we never say, “I’m controlling God today.” Often, though, we set the parameters for what is appropriate and acceptable in faith and ministry. Now, that is responsible. For example, my ordination is to, among other things, order the work of the church. But I never want to let the pursuit of order expel our sense of wonder at God’s grace. Controlling God is not rejoicing at God’s mercy. It’s making sure God works in ways I want and keeping to what I am comfortable with. That day at the synagogue, Jesus went on to offer two images of the kingdom of God. He compared it to a mustard seed and to yeast. Both start small and grow into something bigger. Both need a level of care and preparation to begin their work. After that, they grow. They grow in ways that are beneficial and life-giving. Now, imagine if the person who planted the mustard seed needed to control it. He would go back periodically to dig up the seed. Or, after a while, he didn’t like having birds in the tree that formed. So, he cut it down. Or what if the woman kept opening the oven before the yeast did its work for bread? Such is our faith when when we won’t let God free us from the bondage of control. Stay blessed…john |
John Fletcher
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