"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Friday, 19 August 2016 with Scripture Luke 13:10-17

"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Friday, 19 August 2016 with Scripture Luke 13:10-17

Luke 13:10 Yeshua was teaching in one of the synagogues on Shabbat. 11 A woman came up who had a spirit which had crippled her for eighteen years; she was bent double and unable to stand erect at all. 12 On seeing her, Yeshua called her and said to her, “Lady, you have been set free from your weakness!” 13 He put his hands on her, and at once she stood upright and began to glorify God.
14 But the president of the synagogue, indignant that Yeshua had healed on Shabbat, spoke up and said to the congregation, “There are six days in the week for working; so come during those days to be healed, not on Shabbat!” 15 However, the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Each one of you on Shabbat — don’t you unloose your ox or your donkey from the stall and lead him off to drink? 16 This woman is a daughter of Avraham, and the Adversary kept her tied up for eighteen years! Shouldn’t she be freed from this bondage on Shabbat?” 17 By these words, Yeshua put to shame the people who opposed him; but the rest of the crowd were happy about all the wonderful things that were taking place through him.[Complete Jewish Bible
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The weekend is coming! How will you rest? How will you keep the Sabbath? It was an important question for the Jewish community in Jesus' day. Jesus rebuffed those interpreters of the Law who argued that even healing should be put on hold until the Sabbath was over. Jesus recognized that the larger purpose of the commandment was to free God's people from whatever holds us in bondage, including work.
A congregation sent out a survey to its members to ask about connections between faith and daily work. One question was, "How frequently do you keep a Sabbath day once a week to detach and rest from your work?" One fourth of those responding answered "never" or "seldom," and another third answered "sometimes." The responses led to a series of conversations about how congregation members might reclaim the necessity and gift of a weekly Sabbath alongside daily work.
Merciful God, show us how your commandment to keep the Sabbath comes to us as a gift. Free us from our bondage to anything that keeps us from resting in you. Amen.
Jeffrey Eisele, '16
Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls, S.D. 
Luke 13:10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.
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.
12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, "Woman, you are set free from your ailment."
13 When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.
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."
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?
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?"
17 When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.[New Revised Standard Version]
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