A few years ago, I had a cyst that formed on my lower spine that caused extreme pain.  I had injured it working but continued to work—with a cane in one hand to hold me steady.  At one point I went to the emergency room as the pain became intense as nerves paralyzed my left side down to my toes.  The emergency doctors filled me a syringe of pain killer so x-rays of my back could be taken.  The tests proved my pain’s source but they could only offer more drugs to “manage my pain”, a phrase I would learn to hate hearing.

After months of pain relievers that made me feel worse without resolving the pain, I continued to ask God, the Great Physician, to help me.  “Specialists” only wanted to “manage my pain.” My desire, of course, was the determination to eliminate pain and heal.  There must be a better way.  I called a highly recommended specialist but the appointment was months away as his schedule was full. 

The Great Physician showed up in the wait. As I was preparing supper after work one evening, the tv was finishing the news with guest doctors who talked about a condition called spinal stenosis along with physical exercises that would relieve that pain—without drugs!  I stopped what I was doing, noting the website to go to for help.  I browsed the site and watched every detailed video.  What can it hurt?  I’m in pain now. 

I spent the next days, easing into each exercise with caution, only to realize that the pain was lessening.  I also learned that to keep the spine healthy, I must do these five simple exercises every day to avoid the pain of swollen disks or cysts that could form if I did not.  After I few months, I no longer needed the cane.  I was back to “fast walking” which is normal for me.  Before specific exercising, I had stopped the harsh drugs that made me feel unbalanced and dizzy without relief.  I only took over the counter pain relief twice a day; but after daily committed exercise with prayer while exercising, I no longer needed any drugs.  I was healed.

Today, years later, I still do these exercises to maintain a healthy spine.  God caught my attention and guided me to help.  Oh, and the specialist?  I finally saw him four months later.  He took x-rays, of course, and compared them to the x-rays the ER took months earlier.  “I don’t know what you’re doing but keep doing it!  You’re healing well!”, he said.  My response to him was, “Praise God!  When everyone else wanted to merely manage pain, He answered my prayer to be healed.”

When the Doctor is in—listen to Him and follow what He says.  The Creator knows exactly what we need when we need it.  In fact, the Doctor is always in 24/7—especially on the Sabbath when our full attention is on God. 

Luke 13, The Message

Healing on the Sabbath

^10-13 He was teaching in one of the meeting places on the Sabbath. There was a woman present, so twisted and bent over with arthritis that she couldn’t even look up. She had been afflicted with this for eighteen years. When Jesus saw her, he called her over. “Woman, you’re free!” He laid hands on her and suddenly she was standing straight and tall, giving glory to God.

¹⁴ The meeting-place president, furious because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the congregation, “Six days have been defined as work days. Come on one of the six if you want to be healed, but not on the seventh, the Sabbath.”

^15-16 But Jesus shot back, “You frauds! Each Sabbath every one of you regularly unties your cow or donkey from its stall, leads it out for water, and thinks nothing of it. So why isn’t it all right for me to untie this daughter of Abraham and lead her from the stall where Satan has had her tied these eighteen years?”

¹⁷ When he put it that way, his critics were left looking quite silly and red-faced. The congregation was delighted and cheered him on.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Imagine you are not well.  For some of you, this is not hard for you are in pain right now!  The sickness you have has grown into years of struggle.  No one can help.  You try this and that remedy offered by those who think they know what is best for you—but nothing works.  Go to the doctor, I’m not advocating avoiding doctors.  But pray first for God’s wisdom and guidance in choosing the help you need while God chooses how He will help you through it all. 

Continually praise God by submitting to His command to “honor the Sabbath.”  Imagine the scene.  The woman stopped her chores, put on good clothes, and went to the meeting place despite her constant pain.  She was probably excited because of the “guest speaker” that day.  She had heard rumors about how compassionate He was, how close to God He seemed to be, along with stories passed around of His miraculous healing.  She was so in awe of His teaching that it does not occur to her to ask for healing. It’s not the time.  She also doesn’t feel that she should ask given her past that she isn’t proud of and prefers to hide.  So, she just watches, listens, and learns. 

But Jesus, compassionate healer, is the God who sees her.  Jesus looks into her heart through her eyes and sees the not only the physical pain but the spiritual need of this arthritic woman.  Just like God saw Hagar, centuries earlier and helped her and her son, Ishmael through a desert time of banishment.  (Genesis 16)  Jesus demonstrated who God is to the congregants gathered at the meeting house that day.  They saw that God is unfailing in love and compassion.  They also saw God bend down to see pain and bring relief through healing and forgiveness in all kinds of ways.  God is in control of all that He created.  God is Lord of the Sabbath—not man. 

Jesus’ critics dismissed the miracle and missed the message!  Their first and only thought was how their own man-made, burdensome additions to God’s Law of “honoring the Sabbath” were being ignored.  After all, they intricately defined “cease your labors” and had debated what that looked like in their estimations along with appropriate punishments for disobedience.  So, while they try to school Jesus, Jesus schools His critics once more with what God really desires from us—to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul.  God first in all we think, say, and do.  This is the prescription from the Doctor who diagnoses, (sees our hearts) and heals, (saves and makes us whole).

Yes the Doctor is in to heal, teach, comfort, disrupt, and confront as He speaks Truth. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Jesus healed the woman for Life eternal.

We have two choices:  God or the Enemy

Who we choose to sit with and believe will determine our love for God and our trust in Him.  God sees our hearts and knows exactly what we need before we even know we need it! 

Pause to reflect, pray, meditate on what just happened here in this passage before “choosing this day whom you will serve,” love back, listen to, and follow. 

We can sit with the critics and miss out on the miracles of God which leads to eventual death. 

OR we can sit with the chorus of congregants who praise God when He shows up in our lives with Hope of Life eternal through Jesus our Lord.

The choice seems obvious; but it is up to each individual.  God desires to pour out his blessings of healing, forgiveness, and freedom to all who believe; but He is waiting on our decision.

Lord,

Thank you for being the Doctor who is in 24/7 for all who seek You and ask for Your help, healing, forgiveness, and mercy.  Your compassions truly don’t fail as it is written in Your Word to us.  Thank you for reminding me of how you healed me so I could work without extreme pain. Thank you for daily cleansing my heart, renewing my mind which transforms my behaviors. Thank you for your fresh, new mercies that fill my soul.  Thank you for restoring the joy of your salvation at work within me.  Thank you for saving me and making me whole again and again and again.

In Jesus Name, Amen