She doesn’t speak up for herself. It’s true: It would take effort for people to look in her eyes because of the way her back curves. But that curve is not what denies her dignity. What denies her dignity is when people treat her as if she is of less value than the animals. Even the animals get watered on the sabbath. What is debilitating is the denial that she exists, that she matters to God and to the faith community. Yet in Luke 13:10-17, we see that this faithful woman still shows up, staying in the background, asking for nothing, until Jesus seeks her out and brings her into the center.
Jesus stops his authoritative teaching and brings this unnamed, physically disabled, socially neglected woman into the center of things. He touches her twisted back at the expense of tradition, decorum and not ticking off the church ladies. And in this neglected one – this woman who has been brushed aside, ignored and systematically excluded while their community is centered around those with more influence and louder voices, Jesus reveals the power and calling of God.
This message is excerpted from “Already worthy” by Lee Ann Pomrenke in the March/April 2023 Gather magazine. Today is the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost. Today we commemorate Bartholomew, Apostle.
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