Monday - Compassion

Prayer:  Divine Healer,  move through every part of my body and mind giving Your healing and Your strength and Your wisdom and Your love to ever fiber of my being.  For my daily life and life eternal,  I give You thanks and praise.  Amen.

Luke 13: 10 – 17

What would you do if you were sitting in Church one Sunday and the Guest Preacher suddenly stopped preaching,  stepped down from the pulpit into the congregation and healed a person.   Would you be a bit taken back?  What would the Elders do?  Would they too be surprised at what had just happened?  Would they try to stop the Guest Preacher?

Here in these verses, Jesus was teaching in a synagogue when he noticed a woman who needed healing.    Jesus calls her forward and heals her.     She is immediately healed.   But the synagogue ruler is angry.  Jesus knows the 613 laws.   The primary law is that the Sabbath is to remain the Sabbath – no extra work and definitely no healings were to take place on the Sabbath.  Or so thought the synagogue ruler.   

Jesus says to the synagogue ruler that he cares for his animals on the Sabbath by giving them water.  How much more should a person be cared for if they need healing.

The woman was set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her.  Jesus took compassion on the woman and healed her.

How do we take compassion on people today?  What do our Church’s  do to help heal those who need healing?   Would your community call your Church a compassionate Church?   

It is through our compassion and the compassion of the Church that begin healing within a community and the world.    This Sunday as you go to Church,  look around you to what is in the neighbourhood of the Church.   Is it all housing?   Are there stores?   Are there any hospitals or Senior’s  homes?    Are there any community centres?   Once you have discovered what is in your Church neighbourhood,  look at your Church’s bulletin.  What in the bulletin helps those outside the door of the Church?   If there isn’t anything,  then perhaps it is time to ask the Elders and Minister how the Church can involve itself in the neighbourhood so that the Church can bring compassion and healing to the community.

Prayer:  Great God,  as Christians we do not stand alone.  You are with us as well as our Church family.   Together we are commissioned to bring Your compassion into the Church neighbourhood.   Enable us today through prayer,  thought,  or events  to bring Your compassion to the church neighbourhood.   This we ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.