Luke 12:32-13:17

Read along as Matthew guides us through the Gospel of Luke. In these verses, Jesus continues to teach us not to worry, to trust in Him and seek the Kingdom. He also teaches about apocalyptic time and the current time of "now" (i.e. his life, death and resurrection), and given the time, he invites repentance and encourages new growth. It's not too late to change your ways, to be transformed by the redeeming love of Jesus. He tells a parable about a fruitless fig tree to prove his point. Next, he heals a crippled woman and uses the opportunity to explain the unbinding, liberating ways of the Kingdom. 

Matthew Schmidt is the Pastor of St. Paul's United Church of Christ located in the beautiful small town of Grand Haven, MI. To discover more about St. Paul's visit our website. www.stpaulsgrandhaven.org

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Dear God, we thank you for Bible study. When we can open this book and read these words, the Gospel of Luke, we thank you for Luke, who so long ago undertook the massive project to try to compile and interview and witness your life, death, and resurrection, dear Jesus. And we thank you that by your spirit you planted that that story in his heart, and that and that we are able to read it today. We pray that your word would be our guide, that your spirit would be our teacher, and that the glory of Jesus would be our greatest concern. Amen. So Jesus is teaching, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, the body more than clothes. Uh, you know, he he uses wildflowers as an example of how beautiful is nature. Nature is so gorgeous. Solomon, in all of his splendor, is not as pretty as a field full of wildflowers. And part of why he's saying that is because he's also talking about death and what happens when we die. And not a hair on your head will be unaccounted for. And what's so interesting about the Gospel of Luke is that after Jesus dies, his body is taken care of. Not in the traditional sense. The women try to go and tend his body with the herbs and the spices, but his body is literally taken care of in the resurrection when he is raised into a glorious bodily existence. And the same is true for you and I, and the same is true of creation. Beauty in creation does matter. Carpet choices do matter, and God will make sure that for eternity, beauty is all in all. And so it's it's good to put in our efforts to beautify things. It's also good to trust that God will make things more beautiful than we could ever make them on our own. So don't worry. He ends verse 31. Seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. And I really believe that. Verse 32, do not be afraid, little flock, for your father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Why do you think he calls these followers little flock?

SPEAKER_01 2:50

It's a small number amongst a wider number, that could be part of it. What else does little flock mean? Sheep and a shepherd, yeah. I think of children. Sometimes I call my children little ones or little chickies or little babies, and uh they're not babies anymore. They're giant eight-year-old, six-year-old, three-year-old, but they're still little ones. And uh and Jesus often calls his disciples people of little faith, and he doesn't mean that as an insult, although it sounds like an insult. What he is just reminding them is you don't know everything. I don't know everything, but I'm a child of God, I'm a part of a little flock, and God will take care of us, and God will hand us the kingdom. And that's some good news. So go ahead, sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near, and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. This is a such a famous or or infamous or popular teaching of Jesus, it it almost goes in one ear and out the other. Unpack this with me. What is Jesus talking about when he talks about treasure and heart and where your treasure is, and that matters, and why does that matter? First of all, what what does he mean by where your treasure is? What is your treasure? What you value, and that could be anything that you value, right? W what types of things do you value? You value your family? What else do you value? Your kids, your family? Yeah. What else do you value? Your friends? I value all of you. You know? We people listening to the podcast don't know this, but as a church, we're looking at carpet samples, and I see these people that I really value, and they have different visions and different hopes. And and I want everyone, I said to Nadine as I was getting these samples, I just I want everyone to be happy. And she looked at me and she said, You can't make everyone happy. I said, Bogus, watch me. We're gonna do it. And the way we do it isn't by picking the just right carpet. The way we do it is when everyone, when the tide rises, all of our hearts to realize what a great project this is for a church to do, and we're still the church, and we matter more than this. And we and our friendships matter just as much as this, and our relationships matter just as much as this, and love matters just and it's a good thing that some of us care a lot about this too. All of it matters. Well, we'll work with one another, but when people are looking at different when they're looking at practice. Exactly. Why do you like this? Yeah, and then they'll give you the idea. Oh, yeah. Yep. Yeah. Exactly. You listen to each other and you can appreciate why somebody likes what they like. That's a good thing. We're all winning our own perspective. That's right. Yeah. Yep. And sometimes I think it matters just as much to be heard and to be known that your opinion has value as it does like getting your way. You know what I mean? It's like I just want to be a part of something where I'm valued. And that's why I said to Nadine, I can make everyone happy because I will work hard to make sure all of you feel valued. That Jesus is working hard to make sure I and you and the whole this little flock is safe and valued and secure. And because we are safe and because we are valued, and because we are secure, look what we're able to do: give to the poor, be generous, empty ourselves. Because our treasure isn't locked away, keeping ourselves safe, because we know that we are collectively cared for and we are collectively loved, because we know we are a part of the kingdom of heaven. Well, then that changes how we treat each other. We listen with an even better ear to the person who has an interesting opinion that's different than ours. You know? We we're more willing to change, or we're fully affirmed and we don't have to change. I mean, it it's both and not an either or usually. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. God does not want thieves and moths to ruin the kingdom of heaven. Doesn't want thieves and moths to divide the church. When I look throughout human history at what divides the church, a lot of times it's moths and thieves. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. I want to encourage us to put our ultimate treasure in Christ. Verse 35 be dressed, ready for service, and keep your lamps burning. Uh so he's talking about don't worry about what you wear, but now worry about how you're dressed. And how do you dress? Get dressed, ready to serve each other. You know, you wake up in the morning and you put on your nurse's scrubs because you're gonna go help people, right? You wake up in the morning and you put on your uh mechanics' uniform because you are going to go help people, you know. So be dressed, ready for service, and keep your lamps burning. What is he's talked a lot about keeping your lamps burning, right? That's the light of Christ that shines in the darkness. If the light of Christ isn't shining, you're not ready to serve the church, right? Like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet. So that when he comes and knocks, they can immediately open the door for him. What's that image? What are servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet? So that when he comes and knocks, they can immediately open the door for him. Keep your lamps burning like servants waiting for what? This morning my kids were watching a TV show, and Grandma was my mom watches my kids every Monday morning, and uh and they were watching Paw Patrol, and as soon as the door opened, I heard somebody, I was getting ready to come to to come to work, and I heard somebody say, Turn it off, turn it off, and quickly grandma burst through the door and then turn it off, quick, and they turned off the TV. Why did they turn off the TV? They thought they were gonna get in trouble, you know. They thought they were doing now. I had given them permission to watch an episode of Paw Patrol, they weren't gonna get in trouble, but you know that thing, that feeling you get when you're a kid and your parent or your grandparent walks through the door and you're doing the thing you're not supposed to do. What Jesus is saying here is be doing the thing you're supposed to do so that when the master walks in the door, you're ready. You've you're you've got your clothes on, you've got your lamp right here. Yeah, I'm re I'm ready to to help the church pick new carpet, and I'm ready to help the you know poor get fed, and I'm ready to help lead over here or serve over there. I'm ready. It will be good for those servants whose masters find them watching when he comes. Truly, I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. Did you see that? He will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. Did you see that? What just happened? The servant is ready to serve Jesus, and then Jesus walks through the door and he goes, Awesome, have a seat. I'll go get the bread and the wine. And he serves the servant. This is an amazing image. What master walks through the door and serves the servant? Jesus does. This is why he's the best master. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. But understand this if the owner of the house had known at what owner the what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. That's obvious, right? If I told you that what's today's date? It's January, February, March 16? Okay. And if I told you that on March 31st, you're gonna get robbed, what would you do? You would lock the door? Would you do anything if I told you you're gonna get robbed on March 31st? I wouldn't be there, I'd leave. Would any of you, if you knew that you really like if I was a time traveler and I was like, no, listen, they're gonna burn the whole thing down, they're gonna take everything, and if anybody's in the house, you're gonna get slaughtered. Would any of you just be like, eh, phooey, I'll go about my life and not change anything? Or would you lock the door or leave or get what you can and move to Idaho? Jesus is just saying, if you know what hour the thief is coming, you will do something. Well, why wouldn't you do something if you know that the master is coming back? Why would you act that way if it protects yourself, but not act that way if it benefits the kingdom? That that would not, right? You also must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. On this side of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, these words read differently than when they were spoken to the disciples. When they're spoken to the disciples, Jesus is talking quite mysteriously about both his current presence and his death on the cross and those hours, those long, that holy Saturday where he is dead and buried, and the disciples are locked away and afraid, and then the Son of Man in his risen glory comes back. Are they ready or are they locked and afraid? They're locked and afraid. We'll read those stories in the weeks to come, right? But also now in our lifetime, post-resurrection, post-ascension of Jesus, these words read differently, and they read like Jesus is coming back. The one who made this universe and died to save you is going to land on planet Earth in his glory. And the question is, are you ready?

SPEAKER_00 14:30

What will he find you doing when he comes back? I hope he'll find you with a lamp burning ready to serve each other.

SPEAKER_01 14:41

I hope he finds us like in this sanctuary singing. You know what I mean? I hope he finds us right in that moment where you're like brushing a grandchild's teeth and tucking them away, doing the right thing, you know. And he and he's not saying this to make you feel guilty. What he's saying is uh start pursuing justice now. Start serving others now. Start loving this world now and caring for creation now, because when I come back, oh boy, all those efforts will be amplified. Right? And everything, that whole direction that you're running, and maybe you're tired of running in that direction, it will just, it will, bam, it will come to fruition. It will bear fruit. Light will be all in all, and goodness will be all in all. And your labor, Paul says, will not be in vain. Your labor is anticipating the Peruja, the second coming of Christ, and the arrival of everything that we hope for, peace on earth, and God dwelling all in all, and even the dead, and even our enemies rising, and a table being set and prepared before our enemies, and our cups will overflow. So keep watch. Uh Peter asked, Lord, are you telling this parable to us or to everyone? This seems pretty significant. Good question, Peter. The Lord answered, Who then is the faithful and wise manager whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. Again, just another story about a master puts a servant in charge of other things and asks that servant to actually be in charge of those things and to do the right thing when the master returns. Truly, I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, My master is taking a long time in coming, like, I don't know, two thousand years. And he then begins to beat the other servants, or go on crusade, or solve the world's problems with their own devices. Both men and women, he begins to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour he is not aware of, he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. I mean, what a stark warning to Peter. Peter, maybe you're the rock on which your the church is built, but what about the next Peter and the next Peter and the next Peter and the next Peter and the next Peter? What about those popes in the Middle Ages? What about them, Peter? I mean, Peter's question, are you talking to us? Are you talking to everyone? Which one is it? Yes. The servant who knows the master's will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. Why is there a difference between knowledge and ignorance and punishment?

SPEAKER_00 18:19

If you know better, you know better.

SPEAKER_01 18:22

This is why you know, this is why people say, you know, if you're if if you really feel called to serve the church in whatever way that means, if if you feel called and you become a a nun or a priest, you become a pastor or uh an elder or you become the pope or you become the you know conference minister, um, you know better. You you've been exposed to the word of life and you know better. Uh you you think about Judas and Peter and John and these disciples who have uh followed Jesus now around for years.

SPEAKER_00 19:15

They've seen him. Judas knew better.

SPEAKER_01 19:26

I have come, verse 49, to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled. But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed. This is really interesting because Jesus is saying this here in Luke chapter 12. Luke is the same author of Acts.

SPEAKER_00 19:52

And when does fire arrive in Acts most famously? We fill our church with flames of fire.

SPEAKER_01 20:03

Pentecost, Acts chapter 2, fire shows up. And it is the fire. Is it the fire that you're afraid of as you read these verses? No, it's the fiery presence of God's Holy Spirit anointing the disciples to go out into this world and draw more people into the life of the church. Peter preaches with courage a fiery sermon of God's resurrecting power and love in Jesus Christ in Acts chapter 2. Jesus is talking about harsh judgment and harsh punishment, but this is coming on the coattails of himself describing himself as a master who comes home and takes the servant's place. And what Jesus will do at the end of Luke is literally take the servant's place. When Jesus allows God's wrath to fall on him, something really significant happens. Every broken thing humanity has ever broken, every unjust thing humanity has ever done, every hatred-filled, vile and rejected thing that humankind, every sin, falls upon not the sinner, but upon God's own beloved Son, who takes all that to the cross. And like a black hole begins to swallow up all the pain and the suffering from this world. And so you can read these words and realize, okay, it it's one thing to read them or to hear them through the ears of the disciples who do not yet know that Jesus Himself is the one that's going to suffer and die and overcome death. And then we read it again with the same warning, but with the knowledge that Christ has overcome and God's wrath is different. And so we kind of have to do a little bit of Mental gymnastics when we read this. I think it's inappropriate to read this without reading it through the lens of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Do you know what I mean by that? He takes on the punishment. When he says, I have not come to bring peace to this world, guess who is the one who was sought in half?

SPEAKER_00 22:26

He is. Right?

SPEAKER_01 22:29

And then because he is, his disciples are able to endure pain and suffering in a totally different way. Do you think, verse 51, I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on, there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two, two against three. That's not real. That doesn't happen. Wayne's laughing. Voting five to four. That doesn't happen. They will be divided, father against son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. That never happens, does it, daughter-in-law's and mother-in-laws? No. Right. There is division. It is real. And Jesus is inaugurating a kingdom in which division just simply cannot coexist with undivision. Peace cannot coexist with war. That's not what peace is. Peace is not the coexistence of peace and war. Peace is the absence of war. The coming of the Son of Man must do something to bring about the judgment of this world. And I think that there's a strong argument to be made that that moment of judgment is most clearly resounding on the cross. That the Son of Man comes and judges the world and receives that judgment upon himself. And that should change us.

SPEAKER_00 24:07

And if it doesn't change us, well, it should. It can. It will. I believe it will.

SPEAKER_01 24:22

It's maybe taking 2,000 years, but I believe it will. He said to the crowd, When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say it's going to rain. And it does. West is what direction in the Middle East? What's west? If you're in Israel, what's west? The Mediterranean Sea. So clouds over the sea means what? Rain is coming. Those are the good clouds. Do we like the clouds from the west or do we like the clouds? What's what's out east? Desert. Do we like the clouds from the east or the clouds from the west? If we're in the ancient world, we like the rain clouds. So if you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately say it's going to rain, and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say it's going to be hot. That's the wind coming up from the desert. It's going to be hot and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you do not know how to interpret this present time? Do you see what he's saying? This is what I'm saying. Like, I think he's saying the present, the time is now, that the judgment of the world is now, that the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ is the moment of crisis between God and humanity. It is the moment of judgment between God and humanity. The time is now. If you don't believe me, read all 26 volumes of Karl Barth. He'll convince you that the incarnation of Jesus Christ is the time that defines all time. And that actually helps us understand why 2,000 years later it seems like nothing's changed. Because maybe linear time isn't the same thing as God's time. And in God's crisis moment, God judges the world. And when God judges the world, God does that to himself because he does not want to judge the people that he loves. Instead, he will take that upon himself and try so hard to show us the way of love. Verse 57, why don't you judge for yourselves what is right? You know the difference between rain clouds and dust clouds. Why don't you judge what's right? Because it gets complicated, God. I want the dust clouds to hit my enemies, and I only want the rain clouds for myself, right? It gets complicated when human beings get involved. As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way. Or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge may turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. Do you see how holding a grudge can amplify and get worse? Try to seek reconciliation before we get to that point. Before we get to the congregational meeting and we bring divided hearts about carpet, we will do the work of reconciliation and loving each other and coming together on this. And that's kind of a silly example. The big example is before we go to war. Let's do the work of reconciling. Right? Otherwise, like war doesn't solve our problems, it makes things worse. There's a lot of problems that come from war. A lot of, you know, innocent people suffer, oil prices go up, life gets harder, technologies get invented that you can't uninvent. Some people want that. Some people want that. As you are going along with this person that you're arguing about, your adversary, your enemy, that person you want to divorce. Try to be reconciled on the way. Or that enemy could make things worse. They'll drag you into court. They'll drag you off to the judge. You'll get turned over to an officer and the officer throw you into prison. Again, this happens to Jesus. He is trying and trying and trying and trying to get humanity right with God, trying and trying and trying to reconcile with humanity. And guess what humanity ends up doing? Handing him over to the judge, who hands him over to the soldiers who spit on him and mock him and hand him over to a death device. This is why I'm saying Jesus is talking about us, he's also talking about himself and where he's willing to go to try to show us the way of peace, the way of reconciliation. Chapter 13. Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. So Pilate is messing with the sacrificial system. Mixing prisoner or less than Galilean blood with sacrifices? Jesus answered, Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? This is that question of did this horrifying thing happen to this person because they were bad and this was their just punishment? Is God so nice, neat, and clean with his judgment, or is the world more mysterious than that? Is evil worse than that, and God's love better than that? There's a lot at stake in questions like this. I tell you no. Unless you repent, though, you too will all perish. Verse 4. Are those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? So there's an accident that happens. A construction accident, a tower falls, and people die. And people are wondering, oh, that's so near to the temple. You know, was God spiting someone? It's like a lightning bolt hitting a sinner. It's like, did that did that happen because they were bad? And Jesus is saying, No, it's not that nice, neat, and clean. Your mistakes aren't that nice, neat, and clean, are they? And this is partly why Jesus dies for us, because the whole system is so messy. It is actually very hard to parse out individual sins. It's quite difficult. I don't know if you've ever tried. Some people like to try. It's really it's kind of a bit of a mess, you know. It's not that comp it's not that easy, he says, it's not that simple. Karma, it's not that simple, right? Bad becomes bad, good becomes good. It's more mysterious than that. And part of why it's more mysterious than that is God is doing in Jesus something illogically gracious and generous. By by pure goodness, receiving wrath.

SPEAKER_00 31:44

Right?

SPEAKER_01 31:47

I tell you no, but unless you repent, you two will perish. He is asking us to change. If you hear one thing, when you hear the story of Jesus, hear this, you don't have to be that way anymore. You can change, you can turn towards the love of Jesus Christ, and you can be a part of this little flock that is kind and loving and generous towards each other that is uh in the kingdom very readily. Verse 6. Then he told this parable a man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. Remind me, what's a fig tree? It's a tree with figs. Have you ever eaten a fresh fig? They're really sweet. I usually eat them and they're dried figs. This is a this is a fruit tree. So a man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. And he went to look for fruit on it, but he did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, For three years now, I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree, and I haven't found any. Cut it down. Why should it use up the soil? Why is he saying cut down the tree? It's a waste of space, right? That's valuable soil. This tree must not work, right? Let's get rid of it. It's not bearing fruit. Let's get rid of it. Let's cut it down, let's eliminate it. Sir, the man replied, Leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine. If not, then cut it down. What is that? What does this parable mean? Somebody interpret it for me. Who is the fig tree? We are. And what does it mean for us not to bear fruit? We're selfish, we're not doing the right thing, we're not behaving the right way, we're sinful. Okay. We're not being the light. We're not practicing the reconciliation. He just we're not forgiving others, we're holding grudges. We're living clenched fist instead of open-handed. We're going to war instead of making peace, right? Okay, so we are the fig tree not bearing fruit. All of us are in our own unique ways. So who's the man who's saying, leave it alone, I'll dig around it and fertilize it? Who's that? God or Jesus? What is he saying then to you? Give me another chance. Let me work with you for a year. Let me show you some love. I'll fertilize you with my own love. We'll see who you can become. I mean, so we're reading this stuff about uh judgment, the coming of the Son of Man. A lot of people interpret it, someday there will be judgment. But then you also get this sense that he is talking about himself and the work he is doing now live to his disciples. And even that timestamp of give me another year, here we are in Luke 13. We are not yet to Luke 24 or to Luke 23, right? We we've got 10 more chapters to go. Give Jesus another year of doing ministry and see if he can get some of these people that he's interacting with to change. He's gonna keep spreading fertilizer, he's gonna keep healing, he's going to keep teaching, he's going to keep showing love, and ultimately he will die on a cross to show this love. Give me more time, he's saying. And also to each of us, give it a year. Give yourself some grace for a year and try to walk with Jesus. Invite Jesus into your life and say, hey, listen, I'm a fig tree and I'd love to bear some fruit. Can you help me? And watch what happens. But be patient with yourself. Give yourself some grace. I know that Jesus offers you grace. I know that for sure. Verse 10 on a Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues. This is probably a Friday night, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. Could you imagine? Eighteen years having a terrible medical condition where you're crippled. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, Woman, you are set free from your infirmity. Then he put his hands on her head on her and immediately she straightened up and praised God. You've got a fig tree in your backyard that's all bent over and crippled. It's been a bad tree for eighteen years. Give it a shot, give it a go, fertilize it, see if it comes back to life. Here he's doing it with real human beings. You know, if if this woman's been bent over and in pain, do we think that she's been able to bear the fruit of the kingdom of God? Or would that come with some pretty fair challenges? Probably some challenges. And now who can she become because God has healed her? She bec she can become whoever God needs her to be. You know, just like that blind man that we were talking about yesterday. Who can he become? Any now, you know? Anything. Indignant because oh, let's not go past her reaction, immediately straightened up and praised God. What would it take you to experience if you're the fig tree to immediately know, okay, something's better, and I need to praise God? That's a question just for yourself. You know, this woman doesn't have to guess that something's better. She knows it, she straightens up. And and I want you to know that Jesus extends that healing to you. Uh, it might not be the same kind of healing that this woman experiences. It might be a different sort of healing, might be something more related to where your treasure is, or it might be more related to some relationship that needs mending, or it might be some other ghost that haunts you and only you. What would it look like for Jesus to step into your life and speak a word of healing and grace and love that was so powerful you straightened right up and praised the living God? Well, verse 14, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, There are six days for work, so come and be healed on those days, and not on the Sabbath. What is what is that all about? Right. Okay, are you making a brick or yeah, are you working? Yeah.

unknown 39:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 40:00

Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. And and notice how the the indignant synagogue leader blames the people. What are you doing showing up on Sabbath trying to get some healing? It's like, come on. Show up on a different day. Well, I'm suffering today, and he's here. I'm coming. Right, yeah, yeah. You show up on this Sunday with this guest preacher, you don't show up on the you know, yeah. So the Lord answered him, You hypocrites, doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, the daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for 18 long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what has bound her? See how he just offers a different perspective? You see this as work. I see this as unbinding freedom. And that's just in the the eyes of the person perceiving. You you see this happening, and you think that's a rule being broken, that's not allowed, that's that's power being taken from the church, or you see it as what it is liberation and freedom and and God's work at hand. And I will be honest, that can be hard to discern in our day and age. What is God's redemptive activity in our lives or in the world's lives? How does that relate to the church? Right? There are so many people in this world who do not go to church, and that's fine. And they will experience God's healing love by the grace of God in dozens and thousands and millions of profound ways, and we celebrate that. And we don't judge them for not showing up and maybe they've got some good reason to not show up at church, right? To the same degree, I would hope that if somebody shows up at church, they experience this kind of healing and this kind of love wherever you are, right? Whether you're at church or at home or at the grocery store. And it but it can be hard, can't it, to discern sometimes the work of the spirit in the world, the work of Jesus healing love in the world, versus, you know, what the church is supposed to be doing, what we're called to be doing, and how those things interact. It's not always nice and neat and clean. But it's a good reminder that we can try to view situations from more than just our immediate perspective, and maybe ask the question: is there liberation in this? Is this person experiencing profound liberation and freedom? Maybe that's a movement of the spirit. Is this person being unbounded? Maybe that's a good thing. Right? So when he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing. Let's pause there. Uh, we'll stop at verse 17, and I hope you hear, like those people, a bit of delight with all the wonderful, unbinding, and liberating love of Jesus today. Grace and peace, everybody.