A Narrative of Complete Healing
I wanted to get back to a narrative telling of this story for this week.
This site is called “Sacred Narratives” because the bible is more than just a collection of stories and more than commands or edicts. Like all of God’s work in our lives, the bible is intended to be a blessing. Sometimes we forget this as scripture readers.
One way that I have found to look for the blessing in a scripture is to approach the story with a careful reading and then re-tell it in my own words from different perspectives in the scripture. This week, I’ll retell this story from the perspective of the Woman and the perspective of the leader in the synagogue.
One of the guidelines that I have for using this approach to scripture is to give the characters the benefit of the doubt. I’ve found myself in so many positive and negative character lessons using this approach.
Luke 13:10-17- Jesus heals on the sabbath
13:10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.
13:11 And just then, there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight.
13:12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, "Woman, you are set free from your ailment."
13:13 When he laid his hands on her, she immediately stood up straight and began praising God.
13:14 But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the Sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured and not on the Sabbath day."
13:15 But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites! 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
13:16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?"
13:17 When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame, and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things being done by him.
A couple of notes:
The author of the Gospel of Luke is thought to be a doctor. We see quite a few medical terms in the Greek writings of the Gospel and many stories of healings. In Colossians 4:14, Paul writes “our dear friend Luke, the doctor,” presumably referring to the writer of this Gospel. I think it is a little telling about this woman’s treatment by physicians, given that he describes her illness as “a sickness caused by a spirit.” Luke, like other physicians in his time, largely viewed physical ailments as an outward reflection of an inward defect of morals or character. Further illustration of this point is in the Greek translation, which calls this a “spirit sickness,” not just a sickness caused by a spirit.
The woman likely had a chronic arthritic condition called Ankylosing Spondylitis. This disease can begin its onset even in children, so the woman may not necessarily have been old. I don’t know much about this disease, but a quick search offers extensive and life-impacting symptoms of pain, fused spinal vertebrae resulting in loss of motion, and a hunched-over posture. This bent-over posture impacts eye health, bowel function, and even shortness of breath. The Greek for "unable to stand up straight,” also has a secondary translation that could be “could not look up at all.”
It is easy to see “leader of the synagogue” and exclude ourselves from being in the same class as this man. However, so often the archetype of the religious leader is more like a modern-day “karen” or the shushing librarian or the person who corrects others when they use curse words. Which is something that many of us can probably relate to. My children hollering “that’s not fair!” is the same vibe. Be very careful to exclude yourself from being in the character of the “leader of the synagogue” because quite often, people of privilege and influence are very much this exact archetype.
Sacred Narratives - the bent over woman
How do you feel about your shoes? I loathe mine. They’re my primary view for moving through the world lately. My back has gotten so bad, I can’t look up at all anymore, let alone stand up straight. This pain has taken so much from me for the past 18 years. I just can’t think of much else. I heard that there was a man at the synagogue who was teaching about a life eternal, where pain no longer existed.
I went to the synagogue, I walked there, because it was the Sabbath. It took me ages, and by the time I got there, even my eyes were throbbing. I could barely see my own feet, let alone anything else around me. I was out of breath and desperate when I heard him. This man they call Jesus.
He was teaching about the βασιλεία (basileia - Kingdom) of God.
There’s a moment of silence, and the shoes and feet around me begin to part. Did he see me? Dear God, I hope he saw me.
"Woman, you are set free from your ailment,” he calls out. This is like music to my ears. Then I feel a kind hand on my back, right on the curve that has been deepening for 18 years. I felt the pain evaporate away like water in the sun. It was nowhere to be found. Do I dare to stand up?
Bit by bit, I’m straightening up taller and taller. When I realize that I’m standing straighter than I have in a decade, I look up. I see his face and know this is the face of God. I’ve been telling my story and praising the healing of God with every deep, full, and liberated breath since. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. May God’s βασιλεία (basileia - Kingdom) be forever. I am free.
Sacred Narratives - Leader of the Synagogue
What on earth is going on over there? Today has been nothing but uproar and kerfuffle after uproar and kerfuffle. This teacher they call Jesus sure seems to bring the riff raff with him. Who is doing all this wailing?
I look over to see Jesus with his hand on a woman who is slowly straightening up. Now, she’s got her hands in the air and she’s singing and praising God. Right here in the middle of all this? Seriously? Does nobody have any respect these days?
Wait, is she the woman who can’t even look up? She’s here begging and asking for healing all the time. Wait, did he just heal her? Today? Right here? Not on my watch! Don’t they know today is the sabbath?!? There are rules!
"There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured and not on the Sabbath day."
And you won’t believe what he said to me! Me! The leader of this synagogue. He tried to teach me what the rules for the sabbath are! He dared to say, "You hypocrites! 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, and ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?" This man has absolutely no respect.
Of course, the crowd all rejoiced, misled by his heretical teachings. Who does he think he is? God’s gift to mankind? I don’t think so. He’ll get what is coming to him.
Reflection Questions
These don’t have to be rhetorical. I’ve turned on comments for this blog, or feel free to reply to this email with your thoughts. I love to hear from you!
Entering the Story
What details stand out to you as you picture the scene in the synagogue? Where would you place yourself in that setting?
What emotions or physical responses arise in you as you imagine the woman’s experience of being bent over for eighteen years?
From the Woman’s Perspective
The woman describes her main view of the world as her own shoes. What is something in your life that feels like it dominates your view right now?
What might it feel like for you to hear Jesus call you personally: “You are set free from your ailment”? What “ailment,” visible or invisible, comes to mind?
How would you describe the first thing you would do or say if you experienced that kind of healing or release?
From the Leader’s Perspective
The leader of the synagogue is focused on preserving order and rules. When have you clung to rules, fairness, or control in a way that might have kept you (or someone else) from receiving grace?
If you were in the leader’s shoes, how might you have felt when Jesus challenged your authority in front of the whole community?
Where do you sense yourself more aligned—cheering with the crowd, skeptical like the leader, or somewhere in between? Why?
Looking Outward
Jesus calls the woman “a daughter of Abraham,” restoring her identity as part of the community. Who do you see in your life or community who longs for that kind of restoration?
If you were to retell this story in your own words, whose perspective would you choose—and what might it reveal about God’s blessing in your life?
