Looking perspectively (Luke 13.10-17)

A woman deals with a problem for 18 years. In all that time her whole view has been the dust of the ground and people’s feet. That’s her life, bent over, face to the ground hardly ever seeing the sky or a face, unless strained her head from left to right. After awhile loses hope that life could be any different and thinks this is the way it’s going to be.

I suppose when one only sees dust and feet and nothing else, life is judged by those perspectives. This could limit possibilities and that could lead to hopelessness or even emptiness. Carl Jung said … ‘When goal goes, meaning goes; when meaning goes, purpose goes; when purpose goes, life goes dead on our hands. In the play Don Quixote we hear that madness is not seeing things as they could be, but accepting things as they are.

Jesus on the other hand says “No”, this is not the way it is to be.” He touches her; she rises. He calls her “woman”; gives her a title “Daughter of Abraham.” In those very few steps, most probably missed by others, she is raised up physically, psychologically and spiritually. Jesus says

…“ Woman, you are set free from your ailment.”

She is cured.

… immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.

There is something wonderful about knowing for the first time that the feet you have been seeing are Jesus’ feet. It is even greater to know that this is his body. But most of all, the greatest thrill might be, with a straight back, to face him and thank him.

Cyprian once wrote: “This is a cheerful world as I see it from my garden under the shadows of my vines. But if I were to ascend some high mountain and look out over the wide lands, you know very well what I should see: brigands on the highway, pirates on the sea, armies fighting, cities burning; in the amphitheatres men murdered to please applauding crowds, selfishness and cruelty and misery and despair under all roofs. It is a bad world, Donatus, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people Donatus are the Christians –and I am one of them. (Cyprian , third century martyr).

They care not because they stand straight. Jesus raises them and us as he did the woman, called her woman and calls others men. To the leader of the synagogue he says, not one more day will you treat this one lower than an animal.

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?

Not one more day will he keep one from seeing the sky. Not one more day will he allow her as well as us to live without hope and treat life as if this were the only way.

It is he who calls us forth, allowing us to see life straight and tall, not beaten down as if this is all there is. This is the day we see differently.

A boy was asked by his teacher how many points are there on the compass? She was surprised when he replied that there were five. “What are they?” she asked. He counted them off on his fingers: north, south, east, west and where I am.”

Where are we now, bent over or straight? What is your perspective? A man was going home one night and took a short cut through a cemetery. It was dark and he fell in a freshly dug grave. The grave was so deep that he could not climb out. So knowing at some time someone would have to come, he settled down in the corner of its darkest part and waited. A while later another man, taking a short cut fell into the very same grave. He tried and tried to get out, but like the other just couldn’t. It was about that time, from that dark corner a voice came, “Might as well settle down, you’re not going to get out of here”, it said , but he did.

This is about new beginnings. It’s about allowing ourselves to hear them. Jesus touched the woman; told her to rise. She did. Gave her meaning and called her “daughter of Abraham”.

This is about God, making things right, allowing us to stand straight.

There was a young man in a class called, “Theology of faith.” The professor John Powel often wondered why he was there. He didn’t believe in God. On the day of the final exam this young man after finishing walked out and cynically said, “Do you ever think I’ll find God?” John answered back, “No”. The other boy said, “Oh, I thought that was the product you were pushing.” Five steps from the door, John said, “Tommy, I don’t think you’ll ever find him, but I am certain he will find you.”

Later John found out that Tommy was dying and before he could find Tommy, Tommy found him. He was wasted, but his eyes were bright and his voice was firm.

“I hear you're sick”

“Very”, He said, “It could be worse.”

“Like what”

“I could be 50 and have no values or ideals. What I really came here today was to talk about what you said to me that last day of class. You said that God would find me. I thought about that a lot, not too intensely, but I thought about it. When the doctors said I was dying I got serious. When it got worse I began banging at the doors of heaven. One day I woke and just stopped. I decided I didn’t care about the after life or anything else.”

“I decided I would at least tell those around me that I loved them. The hardest one was my Dad. He was reading a paper when I said, ‘I want to talk to you. I just want you to know, I love you.’ The paper fluttered to the floor. He cried and hugged me. I had not remembered that happening before.”

“It was easier with my mother and my brother. Then one day I turned around and there was God. He had found me even when I wasn’t looking for him.”

A woman suffers for 18 years and loses hope. Then hope comes from one who touches her and makes her know in Christ she is tall and somebody. When that happened she praised God. What about you?

Pr 16 Luke 13.10-17 2010