Prayer for Luke 13: 10 -17 – Prayer for listening to what is really being said
Luke 13:10-17
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 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. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” 13 When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. 14 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.” 15 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 to water? 16 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?” 17 When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame, and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things being done by him.
Prayer
Gracious God, when we hear the story of the woman healed on the Sabbath, what do we notice?
Do we hear the synagogue leader insisting she should not be healed?
Do we hear that she had suffered for eighteen long years?
Do we hear the hypocrisy of leaders who would care for their animals, yet neglect a suffering woman?
Do we hear that the Sabbath itself is holy, and that healing is also a holy act?
Do we hear Jesus rebuking those who opposed him?
Do we hear the people rejoicing in praise?
Gracious God, open our ears to the fullness of the story.
Help us to listen beneath the words, and to hear the stories of Jesus in new and life-giving ways.
Amen.
