September 25, 2019
Luke 13:15-16
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, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”
New International Version (NIV)
                Have you noticed?  In our free country, you still can’t do everything you want to do every day.  You can’t eat Chick-fil-A on a Sunday.  They are not open for business.    Oddly, I so often crave their food on Sundays.

                What do you suppose the woman was thinking?  Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues.  For eighteen years she had been bent over.  Looking up was difficult, standing up impossible.  We don’t know if she could take it anymore.  But Jesus couldn’t.  So he spoke to her, set her free and healed her.  She praised God.  Wouldn’t you think everyone should have praised God? 

                The synagogue leader did not praise God.  Instead he stood on his first century soap box and said, “If you need to get healed, then do it on some day besides Saturday.  No more Sabbath healings please!  God’s work is going on her.  Stop interrupting it.” 

                Jesus quickly illuminated and eradicated the hypocrisy.  All of them would feed their animals on a Sabbath.  How much more should Jesus set free a daughter of Abraham?  We can systematize faith to death, if we are not careful.  It is always a good time to do good.  Thankfully, there is good to be done today and every day.  So, if the chance arises to help someone today, for their sake, for your sake, for God’s sake, do it.  They will praise God.  So should we.
Pray with me:       
Father, this is the day you have made.  As we gladly rejoice, help us to help others today so that they might also gladly rejoice.  Open our eyes to see the people, created in your image who would dearly love to straighten up.  Straighten us so that we may help others straighten up.  Set us right so that we may join you in your work of setting the world right.  Yes, Lord:  Deliver us from hypocrisy, we pray.  In the name of Jesus, our healer we pray.  Amen.   
This year our Every Day with Jesus readings will follow The Bible Project Read Scripture Plan.  Copies of this reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download 
the app at readscripture.org.  Read through the Bible with us in 2019!
Joyfully, 
Duane 
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