What Do You See?
In our text this morning, Luke introduces us to a woman that many had perhaps known for years, but she was no longer at the forefront of their attention. Jesus, however, noticed her on this occasion and that made all the difference. Luke begins by telling us that Jesus “was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath” (Luke 13:10). This was Jesus’ habit from the beginning of His ministry, both in the regions of Galilee to the north (Matthew 4:23) and Judea to the south (Luke 4:44) . The synagogue was the place in their hometown where the Jews went to worship on the Sabbath. Let’s look at what happened in that synagogue on this particular Sabbath and the lessons which Jesus taught from it.
Take a moment and look around you at church. What do you see? What do you not see? Are there people here that you have known for years? Perhaps people with whom you grew up? How well do you know them? Do they have physical struggles that you know nothing about? Are they carrying a heavy load of sorrow, or guilt or sin which they have kept hidden from you? Are there people here that you have never noticed before? Are they newcomers or just people you haven’t come to know?