Luke 13:10-17; “Real Meets Ritual”

Jesus is the Real Deal! He is the Messiah. He really desires that we know Him more and more and spend eternity with Him. So what does the Real Jesus have to say to us today? 

Today’s story in Luke tells how Jesus was in a synagogue teaching and there was a woman in attendance that had been crippled by a spirit for 18 years and was bent over and could not straighten up. (Note not possessed by a spirit but crippled by a spirit.) Luke recognizes that there is a spiritual dimension to our world. This was not just a physical illness. 

Jesus does something surprising. He calls the woman to come up to Him. He understands her plight, says, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” The Word of Jesus is a word of power! When He speaks, even the demonic spirits listen! 

He laid His hands on her. Don’t you wonder what that was like to experience the loving hands of Jesus on her? Then she immediately straightened up and praised God because she was healed but also because she understood the Living God, come to earth, spoke a word of power that defeated the 18 years demonic hold. 

How does this story call us today to re-evaluate our worldview and what is real?

Challenge #1

• Will we accept a Biblical or Western worldview? 

Today the Western worldview dominates even within Christian circles. The Bible tells us there is an ongoing spiritual war. There are demons, though not responsible for every difficulty or trial, we are to be discerning, to seek God first, trusting that he is real and can be relied upon. 

We are called to adopt a Biblical worldview and allow the scriptures to guide and direct our thinking, to allow God’s Word to speak into our lives. 

Our God is real and desires to move in real ways in our lives. He is challenging us in the Western world to set aside a ritual understanding of the Christian faith and to adopt a Biblical worldview, to take him seriously. 

Continuing with today’s story – after seeing the miraculous healing (done by Jesus on the Sabbath) the synagogue leaders are angry – Basically, after seeing divine power manifested before them, the leaders’ reaction is that this is not what we do 

in our worship time! The leaders say there are 6 other days in the week for healing, so he told the people to come then, we are not to work (heal) on the Sabbath. Thereby accusing Jesus of sinning by doing the healing on the Sabbath. 

However, Jesus does not let this stand and He says, “You hypocrites! Don’t you each on the Sabbath untie (unbind) your ox and donkey from the stall and walk them to water.” (This was considered work on the Sabbath). Jesus continues, “Then shouldn’t this woman bound 18 years be set free on the Sabbath?” Meaning, they will loosen the bonds on their animals on the Sabbath but then turn around and say it’s wrong to loosen the bonds of this woman on the Sabbath. 

It’s not about the rituals, it’s about encountering the Living God, the Real God who:

Transforms

Heals 

Forgives 

Is gracious and merciful 

And who calls His children to Real Life 

Challenge #2 

• Will we receive and believe the Real Jesus or will we simply go along with the church culture? 

Church culture today says come to church and then go back to life as usual. It says accept yourself the way you are and don’t judge anything or anyone. It says it doesn’t matter what you do – just be happy. Basically it says, give God lip service and then go back to your life. 

This is not what God calls us to – His message is a message of truth and it is life changing! When we receive Him as Savior our lives are forever changed. We too are delivered like the woman bound by the demonic spirit we are delivered from demonic spirits, demonic teachings and demonic beliefs. 

Jesus is asking us to move beyond a mere church culture and recognize Him for who he is, our Savior, Healer, Deliverer, our Lord, the One who frees us from the bonds of sin, death and the devil and gives instead Life and Hope! 

Today our culture calls truth evil and lies good. Jesus is asking us to turn our back on that kind of culture and instead to hear His voice calling us to Himself. 

He calls us from ritual to relationship! 

He does the miraculous: 

Redeems 

Restores 

Renews

And He offers Real Life! 

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St. Luke’s Account is part three of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. The Gospel of Luke takes a look at the life of Jesus, beginning with the well-known Christmas stories. Luke, a non-Jew, offers a unique perspective into the story of Jesus’ life. 

This study is great for large group, small group or home group Bible study.

Check out this episode!