Healing

Sunday Reflection – August 21, 2022

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

 

Healing A Woman On The Sabbath

Luke 13 10 One Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by an evil spirit for 18 years. She was completely bent over and could not straighten up. 12 When Jesus saw the woman, he called her over and said, “You are now well.” 13 He placed his hands on her, and at once she stood up straight and praised God.

14  The man in charge of the synagogue was angry because Jesus had healed someone on the Sabbath. So he said to the people, “Each week has six days when we can work. Come and be healed on one of those days, but not on the Sabbath.”

15 The Lord replied, “Are you trying to fool someone? Won’t any one of you untie your ox or donkey and lead it out to drink on a Sabbath? 16 This woman belongs to the family of Abraham, but Satan has kept her bound for 18 years. Isn’t it right to set her free on the Sabbath?” 17 Jesus’ words made his enemies ashamed. But everyone else in the crowd was happy about the wonderful things he was doing.

Performed by Margaret Whisselle

Kids Korner: Stand tall and see God’s world (August 21st)

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

Read Luke 13:10-17 with your family.

Sometimes grown ups have been hurt by life so much that their body curls in on itself, their shoulders are rounded, the back is hunched and they hold themselves very tightly. As you can imagine, after a while walking like that, their bodies will be in a great deal of pain.

Jesus recognized the pain of the woman in our story and told her to stand tall. Jesus wanted her to let go of all the sad things that kept her hunched over. She trusted Jesus and for the first time in 18 years she stood tall and didn’t let the bad things control her.

When she did stand tall, Jesus was able to help her see how beautiful the world was, and how she should always stand tall.

The person in charge of the synagogue didn’t understand what had happened and thought it was another healing. When he complained, Jesus pointed out his hypocrisy and how in his keeping to strict rules, he was just as hunched over as the woman. He might have stood tall in body, but he still had a very narrow sight of what was important.

Jesus wants us all to stand tall and see the world around us. God’s world is good and beautiful, and the more we see and understand that, the more we can help others and take care of God’s creation.

Sunday Reflection – June 19, 2022

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

 

A Man With A Demon In Him

Luke 8 26 Jesus and his disciples sailed across Lake Galilee and came to shore near the town of Gerasa. 27 As Jesus was getting out of the boat, he was met by a man from this town. The man had demons in him. He had gone naked for a long time and no longer lived in a house, but in the graveyard.

28 The man saw Jesus and screamed. He knelt down in front of him and shouted, “Jesus, Son of God Most High, what do you want with me? I beg you not to torture me!” 29 He said this because Jesus had already told the evil spirit to go out of him.

The man had often been attacked by the demon. And even though he had been bound with chains and leg irons and kept under guard, he smashed whatever bound him. Then the demon would force him out into lonely places.

30 Jesus asked the man, “What is your name?”

He answered, “My name is Legion.” He said this because there were “legions” of demons in him. 31 They begged Jesus not to send them to the deep pit, where they would be punished.

32 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. So the demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and Jesus let them go. 33 Then the demons left the man and went into the pigs. The whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.

34 When the men taking care of the pigs saw this, they ran to spread the news in the town and on the farms. 35 The people went out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they also found the man. The demons had gone out of him, and he was sitting there at the feet of Jesus. He had clothes on and was in his right mind. But the people were terrified.

36 Then all who had seen the man healed told about it. 37 Everyone from around Gerasa begged Jesus to leave, because they were so frightened.

When Jesus got into the boat to start back, 38 the man who had been healed begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him off and said, 39 “Go back home and tell everyone how much God has done for you.” The man then went all over town, telling everything that Jesus had done for him.

Performed by Margaret Whisselle

Kids Korner: Jesus heals (June 19th)

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

Read Luke 8:26-39 with your family.

Sometimes when we read the stories in the Bible, they are very confusing and we want to ask more questions. Often those questions can be answered if we remember that the stories in the Bible happened in another time and place.

In today’s story, the ‘demon’ identified itself as Legion. In the days of Jesus, the only thing that was named Legion, was the Roman army, and each Roman Legion was thousands of men.

The hearers of this story for the first time would have recognized the demon associate itself with the hated Roman government and army. The hearers also would have known that in a town with the name Gerasene, a huge battle took place with a Legion in the Roman army invaded and killed all the young men in town.

In our story the demon not only represents the Roman army and its brutality, it also reminds the reader of all those who were killed and had their bodies placed in the tombs where the demon lived. At the end, they would know that Jesus had more power than the dead and the Legion, because Jesus was able to make Legion leave.

For people living under Roman occupation and wanting to be free of the Roman government and army, this was a story of hope.

Sunday Reflection – October 24, 2021

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

 

healing of blind bartimaeus

46 Jesus and his followers came into Jericho. As Jesus was leaving Jericho, together with his disciples and a sizable crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, Timaeus’ son, was sitting beside the road. 47 When he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was there, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, show me mercy!” 48 Many scolded him, telling him to be quiet, but he shouted even louder, “Son of David, show me mercy!”

49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him forward.”

They called the blind man, “Be encouraged! Get up! He’s calling you.”

50 Throwing his coat to the side, he jumped up and came to Jesus.

51 Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”

The blind man said, “Teacher, I want to see.”

52 Jesus said, “Go, your faith has healed you.” At once he was able to see, and he began to follow Jesus on the way.

Performed by Margaret Whisselle

Kids Korner: Bartimaeus sees again (October 24th)

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

Read Mark 10:46-52 with your family. This is the last story in Mark before Jesus heads for Jerusalem, where he will meet people shouting Hosanna!

The really interesting thing about this story is that Bartimaeus is the first person to call Jesus “Son of David”, and Jesus doesn’t tell him to be quiet. Earlier in the Gospel of Mark, whenever Jesus would be called something special, Jesus would always tell them to be quiet. However, Jesus does not tell Bartimaeus to be quiet. That is probably because this is what Jesus’ ministry has been heading towards, with all the healings and teachings and predictions of his death. If you continue to read the story in Mark, you will read about the cross and the Resurrection, all of which will happen within eight days of this meeting with Bartimaeus.

So who is the Son of David? Many of the Hebrew people believe that a person would come along to free them from the Romans, the Messiah. Some thought that person would be a warrior. Some thought there would be more than one person. But everyone who believed in the Messiah believed he would restore the kingdom of David and the Hebrews would be free to run their own country and government. As we know, Jesus had a very different way of being the Messiah.