Flora First Christian Church - Flora, IN

April 27, 2008

Luke 13: 10-17

Fairy Tales Have Deep Messages

As unreal and goofy as Fairy Tales and Fables may seem, most contain a deep moral and message that don’t always jump out at us.
I believe such was the case in the first of the animated “Shrek” movies. Shrek was a scary-looking green ogre who was really quite gentle. He protested the despicable Lord Farquaad’s decision to exile fairy take creatures in his swamp. Lord Farquaad promised to remove the creatures if Shrek and his new sidekick, Donkey, rescued Princess Fiona from a tall tower guarded by a fire-breathing dragon.

Shrek and Donkey rescued Princess Fiona. She slept while they had a heart to heart conversation about what Shrek really felt.

Shrek: You know, donkey, sometimes things are more than they appear. Hmmm? Forget it.
Donkey: Hey Shrek! What we gonna do when we get our swamp,
anyway?
Shrek: Our swamp?
Donkey: You know. When we through rescuing the princess and all that stuff.
Shrek: We? Donkey! There’s no “we.” There’s no “our.” There’s just me and my swamp the first thing I’m going to do is build a 10-foot wall around my life.
Donkey: You cut me deep Shrek. You cut me real deep just now. You know I think? I think this whole wall thing is just to keep some-body out.
Shrek: No! You think?
Donkey: Are you hiding something?
Shrek: Never mind donkey
Donkey: This is another one of those onion things isn’t it?
Shrek: No. This is one of those drop it and leave it alone things.
Donkey: Why don’t you want to talk about it?
Shrek: Why do you want to talk about it?
Donkey: Why are you blocking?
Shrek: I’m not blocking.
Donkey: Oh, yes you are!
Shrek: Donkey, I’m warning you.
Donkey: Who you trying to keep out? Just tell me that, Shrek. Who?
Shrek: Everyone! Ok?
Donkey: Now we’re getting somewhere!
Shrek: Oh, for the love of Pete!
Donkey: What’s your problem Shrek. What you got against the whole
world, anyway?
Shrek: Look! I’m not the one with the problem, ok? It’s the world that seems to have a problem with me. People take one look at me and go “Aahhh! Help! Run! Big stupid ugly ogre.” They judge me before they even know me. That’s why I’m better off alone.
(From “Shrek,” Dreamworks Motion Picture, 2001)

Who Hasn’t Felt Like Shrek?

Surely all of us can relate to Shrek. Haven’t we all felt unacceptable at times? Maybe we want to build a wall around our homes and our lives, and just keep everyone out. It’s easier that way! We don’t have to deal with others’ judgment and prejudice. Like Shrek, deep down there’s a quiet desperate cry, “Would someone notice me?” If we have felt that way, then isn’t it only logical—that EVERYONE has felt that way? EVERYONE needs to be wanted and loved.

Jesus Heals Woman on Sabbath

Let’s look at our Bible reading. It was the sacred Sabbath Day of rest and Jesus was teaching in a synagogue. A woman who had been crippled for eighteen years was bent over and couldn’t straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her forward and said to her, ‘Woman, you are set free from your suffering and pain.’ Then He put His hands on her and immediately she straightened up and praised God.” From this brief, but powerful encounter, we are able to see how God sees others. A crowd looked on, but they saw only their own needs. Jesus showed them not only how God sees His children, but how all of his children are to see one another.

SO . . . to see others as God sees us, what must we do? The answer and the action are displayed right in the scripture.

The Gospels show that Jesus’ popularity began to grow and people were drawn to His teaching because He taught differently. So on this day as Jesus was teaching from the scripture a crowd was gathered. Jesus’ eyes locked with woman’s eyes and He was moved with compassion. He not only saw her, he all that she was.
To see others as God sees them we must first LOOK AROUND.

Attention: Powerful Force

Attention is one of the most powerful forces in the world. Psychologists have studied how this relates to infants. As an infant lies on its back in the crib and looks up and an attentive adult smiles at him or her that baby begins to understand that they count for something and are connected to another human being.
That’s EXACTLY WHAT Jesus did for the woman in the synagogue. He turned His face towards her and he connected with her.

People are Waiting to be Noticed

There are all kinds of people just waiting to be noticed. We pass them everyday. On the outside it may appear that everything is ok, but on the inside they are dying for someone to pay attention and to notice them. And like this woman, emotionally and spiritually many persons are handicapped.
When Jesus was walking, He never seemed rushed to get to an appointment or walked past people in a hurry. He always had time for people. If we’re really going to see people we have to slow down in life.
What can we do to notice others as God notices them? How do we reach those who feel they must build a wall around their swamp of a life? Let me throw out a couple suggestions.

The Challenge This Week

1. Look people in the eye this week. Don’t hurry past. Stop to notice people. Look them in the eye and smile.
2. I want to challenge everyone to read in the gospels this week: either Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. Just read one of them and observe how Jesus treated people. Mark is only 16 chapters—read 2 chapters a day and 3 on one day and you have it read. So here’s the first challenge: Look around. Notice. Pay attention.
In this morning’s passage the Bible says that Jesus saw the woman, but then He spoke to her and called her forward. Now, this was very risky socially. This was not at all proper conduct for a man to make contact with a woman he didn’t know.
The second challenge is what Jesus was willing to do: Take a risk.
This is the message to us. When we choose to demonstrate the bold, reckless, radical love of Christ sometimes it will be risky. Generally our temptation is to want to play it safe.
Jesus calls us to demonstrate his love by loving people we wouldn’t normally love without the Holy Spirit guiding our lives.
In fact, look at Matthew 5:46 “If you love only the people who love you, you’ll get no reward. Even those who don’t know God are nice to their friends.”
When we read the New Testament, we see that Jesus lavished grace and love on people who were put down, used up, and left behind. Sinners, prostitutes, lepers, and drunks loved Him because He was comfortable being in their presence. But sometimes it was risky even for Jesus to love those people.
What would cause us to take those kinds of risks? The scriptures proclaim: “For Christ’s love compels us. Because we’re convinced that one died for all.” It’s the love of Christ that leads us to take risks.
When our Lord’s love really invades our lives and takes over, then we’re really willing to take some risks to help love infuse the lives of other persons.

Let me propose a couple other applications.

1. Would you consider this week taking the risk and sitting down with someone who has just shared a real need or hurt: “Could I just pray with you and for you? Or to someone who is uncomfortable with this would you take a risk to simply say, “I’d like to pray for you this week,” and then set a time to do it.
2. How about doing an extra curricular kindness project. Select
someone who needs to be noticed. Do this not for yourself, but for the
need someone else has. It may seem like a no-extra credit project—but I guarantee—God will reward without you knowing when. Do it quietly and without fanfare.
Like Jesus . . . LOOK AROUND. TAKE A RISK.
Giving is how love is best expressed. I am awestruck by the compassion and kindness Jesus had for those who were broken and hurting. Jesus saw the woman who was crippled. He noticed her. He called her forward. He took a risk. But then . . . He reached out to her, He laid His hands on her, He spoke to her and she was healed.
3. He touched her that the healing process might begin, but he also touched her very soul.
Other studies have concluded that people who experience meaningful touch on a regular basis actually have a longer life expectancy. When people need a hand to be held, when people need a shoulder to cry on, when people need a hug, we are to be there for one another. This is not to give anyone permission to invade someone space or privacy, but to allow the healing touch of Christian compassion and friendship to be there when it is needed and wanted.
I want to give you an application. Dish out some hugs, handshakes and high fives this week. Not everyone is comfortable in literally being hugged. Those who are comfortable and need a hug—hug them! Those who you don’t know, then give a high five—give a hand shake, hold both hands in support.

People Feel Beat Up and Put Down

In a world where people are beat up and put down, you and I have the unbelievable privilege of saying to people out loud “You matter to God.
God loves you. Your life counts and the God of the universe is interested in you.” God is interested in all people.
1 John 3:18 says “My dear children let’s not just talk about love, let’s practice real love.”
So can I challenge you? LOOK AROUND, TAKE A RISK, and REACH OUT!
There’s too much at stake. In the words of a song from about thirty years ago, “People need the Lord.” We all need his love, we need his healing, and we need his forgiveness that gives way to repentance, which then gives way to eternal life. Amen!