What is the cause of your pain?

 

Anyone over the age of 50 is familiar with pain. It takes a little bit of effort and patience to get going first thing every morning. I am continuing my study of Luke with Lisa Harper. Today we read a story that is rather small and you could look at it as just another healing story. Jesus heals a lady who has suffered for eighteen years being completely bent over, unable to stand up. My fascination of this story starts with this verse:

"One Sabbath as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight." (Luke 13:10)

First, Lisa points out that the woman probably wasn't even supposed to be in the area Jesus was teaching. In the synagogue, women were not allowed to be in the area where the teaching took place. So we know she was desperate to get near Jesus. She was done with all the suffering and the pain. But, for me, the most important part of this story is that her pain was caused by an evil spirit. We don't often associate our pains with evil. John 9:2 is one occasion the disciples even ask Jesus about what caused a man to be born blind. Was it his parent's sin or his? Jesus said, neither. Not all pain is caused by sin. Not all pain is caused by evil spirits. In this case, there is a direct link between evil and this woman's physical malady.

As I was reading, I was curious how much pain in my life is caused by the evil that I let into my body? How much of my pain is caused by me leaving gaps or openings for evil to enter into my life. In my past, I have placed my pleasure over my service to the Lord. For me, spending money that I didn't have was one of those things I let control my life. As I look back, I can see how devastating those decisions were and the pain they caused. I am so glad the Lord has freed me from that sin.

We do not know the details of this woman's pain and suffering. The good news is that she had finally had enough and she didn't care that she wasn't supposed to be in the Synagogue. She didn't care that it was the Sabbath. All she could think about was getting whole, being able to stand up straight and hug her kids, to look straight into the faces of her family and friends. She had decided enough was enough! 

Jesus didn't care that it was the Sabbath either. He didn't ask about this woman's past life. He didn't ask about her sins. He didn't ask her to remove those sins before coming to him. 

"When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, "Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness. Then. he touched her, and instantly she could stand." (Luke 13:12,13) 

The people that surround us are filled with a lot of pain. Much of that pain is because we have allowed evil to take over our lives. Those of us that are perfect, (you know I am saying this tongue-in-cheek), are often reluctant to respond as quickly as Jesus. We want to see the fruit of change before we help. We are just like the religious leaders in this story. Jesus called them hypocrites. Jesus is ashamed of us like he was these "upright religious leaders" because we don't respond with his kind of love.

We need to discard our judgment, love the sick, the infirmed, the ones that are far from God,. We need to seek those who are in pain because of drugs, alcohol, finances, and broken relationships and let Jesus heal them from their pain, their sickness, and the evil that dominates their life. They are reluctant to come to us. They are reluctant to join us at church. They will do everything to isolate themselves from followers of Jesus. If we are going to make a REAL difference, instead of condemning them for their life of sin and pain, we need to go after them, just like Jesus!

"So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving  Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death." (Romans 8:1,2)