Breaking Building Compassion A reading from Luke 13:10 17 on the Daily Bible refresh.

Hello my friend Dr. Brad Miller here with the Daily Bible Refresh.

This is your daily reading of the Bible from a progressive point of view.

In a bit I will read the New Testament lessons selected from the Revised Common Lectionary for this very day.

The reading is understandable.

I use the Message version relatable.

Please listen to the points to ponder and applicable with action steps you can take.

We pray and are done in less than 10 minutes.

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Here's today's reading.

Reading from Luke 13:1017 from the Message Healing on the Sabbath he was teaching in one of the meeting places on the Sabbath and 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 18 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.

The meeting placed 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 and be healed, but not on the seventh.

The Sabbath.

But Jesus shot back, you frauds.

Each Sabbath, every one of you regularly unties your cow or donkey from its stall, leaves 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 where Satan has had her tied these 18 years.

When he put it that way, his critics were left looking quite silly and red faced.

The congregation was delighted and cheered him on.

In today's reflection, Jesus is really challenging rigid religious rules in favor of human dignity and compassion.

So let's get into some of the points to ponder here today.

The first is about liberation takes priority over tradition.

Jesus demonstrates that human suffering shouldn't be prolonged simply to maintain religious Customs.

The woman's 18 year bondage was more important than preserving Sabbath regulations.

This teaches us to question when our religious traditions might actually be barriers to showing God's love.

The second is about seeing the individual behind the rule while the synagogue leader saw a rule being broken.

Jesus saw a daughter of Abraham suffering.

This reminds us to look beyond institutional policies and see the human beings being affected by our decisions.

Who might we be overlooking in our own communities due to rigid adherence to the way things always have been?

The third point is about religious hypocrisy versus genuine compassion.

Jesus exposes the inconsistency in the religious leaders thinking they would help their animals on the Sabbath but objected to healing a human being.

This challenges us to examine our own religious practices.

Do they serve to uplift humanity or to maintain power structures?

Let's talk about an action step that you can take.

Identify one rule or tradition in your faith community that might be creating barriers for other people.

This could be anything from the service times that exclude working families to language that may make certain groups feel unwelcome.

Start a respectful conversation about how these practices might be adapted to be more inclusive while maintaining their spiritual significance.

We're going to come back and have a closing prayer here in a moment.

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Let's pray Loving God, Open our our eyes to see where we might be placing rules above relationships.

Help us recognize the times when our traditions become chains rather than channels of love.

Give us courage to stand with those who are bent over by systems that oppress and wisdom and to know when to break with convention for the sake of compassion.

Guide us in creating spaces where all your children can stand tall and free giving glory to your name.

Amen.

My friend.

I am delighted you chose to join me for today's reading.

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My name is Dr. Brad Miller and I'll be right here tomorrow with your Daily Bible Refresh.

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Remember, God's loyal love doesn't run out.

His merciful love hasn't dried up, it's created new every morning.