Watch the Sunday School video for March 27, 2022
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Listen to Him: Forty Steps on the Road to Resurrection
Focal passage: Luke 13:10-17
It is the Sabbath and Jesus is teaching in the synagogue. He stops what he is doing when he sees the crippled woman. He calls her to him and then places his hands on her deformed body and heals her. Luke wants us to see something in this scene. Although it is not unusual for individuals to approach Jesus for healing, in this case it seems that Jesus has initiated the encounter. He deliberately calls her to come to him. Everyone would have seen this encounter. Except for Jesus’ decision to speak to the woman, it is likely that the religious leaders would not have even noticed her presence. If they did notice her, they would have been irritated not concerned. In her condition, she was considered unimportant at best – worthless and easy to ignore. The Jewish leaders would have thought that her crippled body was a reflection of her spiritual condition. As Walt says, the woman was “probably getting what she deserved” (page 81).
There is something else that Gospel writer wants us to know. J.D. Walt points out that the word Sabbath is used six times in this passage.
How might these details be related? What is Jesus communicating by healing this woman on the Sabbath? Which groups of people most often irritate you? Who are you tempted to dismiss?
At the transfiguration of Jesus, Peter, James, and John heard the voice of the Father speaking these words: “This is my Son, whom I have chosen. Listen to him” (Luke 9:28-36). When we consider our need to listen to Jesus, we usually think about all that he has spoken. In this synagogue encounter Jesus is actively teaching with his life.
The Gospels record that Jesus was frequently surrounded by three groups of people. There are the Jewish leaders who spend most of their time trying to trap Jesus or refute his ministry. The crowds gather around, sometimes interested in what Jesus is saying, but always in what he will do for them. Then there are the disciples, the ones who are carefully considering all that Jesus is saying and doing. They listen to the words of Jesus and they “listen” to his life as they closely observe what he does.
Jesus taught about caring for the “least of these” throughout the Gospels. He chose to interact with these kinds of people on a regular basis. What would have happened if his words and his actions had been inconsistent? Can you think of times when you learned more from what someone did than what they said?
We become like Jesus as we watch and learn from all that he did and all he said. We get up close to him and discover what he valued and how he engaged with the world. By extension, the same is true for our own personal influence. We are called to become like Jesus as we follow him. But Jesus also intends for us to make disciples (see Matthew 28:19-20).
As we think about our own Christian influence, what can we learn from Jesus’ example? We give witness to Jesus by our words and our actions. Why are both necessary? Why must they be consistent with one another? What part does the Holy Spirit play in discipleship?
Focal passage: Luke 13:31-35
Jesus knew what awaited him in Jerusalem, yet he chose to continue his journey to the cross. We recognize the great struggle that Jesus had in the Garden of Gethsemane, but he must have wrestled with what awaited him at other times. Yet he remained willing and focused on his mission. This is possible only because he “abandoned himself to God” (page 87). Jesus remains resolute because he is confident in his Father and he has surrendered himself to his Father’s will.
This is the point of discipleship. Surrender isn’t difficult when things are going well. The darkest times of life are the places where we struggle. The darkest times of life are where we are formed by the Spirit as we learn to abandon ourselves and our needs to God.
Walt points out that there is a difference between surrender to God and resignation to life’s circumstances. Resignation is giving up. In contrast, surrender is trusting God with the most difficult parts of our lives. As Walt points out, this does not mean that we live with a superficial optimism. Rather, confident in his love and power, we offer every part of ourselves to God.
Our church has entered a season of prayer where we are deliberately seeking the presence of God. The acronym that we are using to guide us through this process is P.R.A.Y.
P. stands for pause, where we slow down and get quiet in order to focus our attention on God.
R. stands for rejoice, where we reflect on the character of God and his good gifts to us.
A. stands for ask, where we pour our hearts before his throne.
Y. stands for yield, where we surrender ourselves to what we have heard God say to us.
We can be confident that when we are honest with God and bring him our authentic selves, he will meet us in those moments. Prayer is the place where surrender happens.
Have you ever worked through the pain of a situation to the point of surrender? What makes your surrender possible?
