August 26th

Read this week's Gospel story printed below.

Luke 13:10-17

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, "Woman, you are set free from your ailment."

When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.

But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day."

But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?"

When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.


SABBATH TIME

1. Make a list of activities that you do on the Sabbath. Your Sabbath may be Saturday, Sunday, or both days. Or, Sabbath may be any days during the week that are your days off from work.


2. Next to each of these activities, place a letter indicating how these activities recharge you physically (P), spiritually(S), and emotionally (E)?


3. When Jesus heals the woman, what does she do?


4. Can you finish the following passage: "Come unto me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden, and I will ____________ _____ _______." Matthew 11:28 (Found on page 332 in The Book of Common Prayer)


5. Are these words of comfort to you?

SHAME

Have you ever experienced the shame of those who challenged Jesus' healing on the Sabbath? What caused you to feel shame?

SYMPATHETIC?

With whom are you most sympathetic?

Most Sympathetic = 1 Neutral = 0 Least Sympathetic =6

Jesus ____ Opponents _____ Woman ____

Satan _____ Entire Crowd _____


How does the division between Jesus' opponents and the crowd demonstrate the division and the fire that Jesus brings to the earth?

What makes change happen in our world?