An unexpected incident occured around two thousand years ago in a Jewish Church.The presence of Jesus altered the traditional worshipping experience of that Church.

This incident of the crippled woman is mentioned only in Luke's Gospel  and this healing experience takes place on a Sabbath, in a Synagogue ( Luke 13:10-17 ).

This takes place in midst of a worshipping community.Since 18yrs. she was part of that worshipping community.But this community was least bothered about her inability.This Synagogue is an example of those community who does not respond to the needs of the needy.

Even in our worshipping community this is the case.There are many who are part of this worshipping community but goes unnoticed, who like this crippled woman are affected by some or the other dissabilities.Today in our society who is given respect ? Who is recognized ? Who is appreciated ? What is our criteria in respecting, recognizing and loving others ? Is it the person as an individual or is it his position, wealth and status.

Here Christ criticizes those who give more importance to the Laws but fails to recognize the needs of the fellowbeings.This criticism asks us to respect, love and care the people who are marginalised.

1.Jesus responds to the need of the needy : In midst of the worshipping community, inspite of large gathering Jesus saw this crippled woman.Inspite of her disability Jesus finds her as a woman who took special interest in worship.And Jesus notices this and calls her forward.For God each individual is important.

This incident points to God's response to all those who are in need.Here Jesus realises the need of this woman and without her request he gives her the healing.Jesus wanted her to know that she is a respectable woman and in God's sight she is very unique.A person without recognition in the community, Jesus brings her to the centre of the community.The society kept her away in the periphery, Jesus brought her to the mainstream of life and to the centre of community.Even in our midst there are people who needs our love, care and cocern.Are we able to recognize them, respect them and accept them as they are and bring them to the core of our fellowship.

2.Christ delivers from the bondage : Those who are bent, face down they are not able to see the glory of God.God has given us the previlege  to look upto him.But because of man's sinfulness, man's guilt,  they are not able to lift their head above and they are in the bent position.God brought forth the disorder into order i.e. God's creation.A person who is bent cannot look upward can only look to the ground.The sinful nature of man enables him to view only the earthly things.

With the help of Jesus this woman could lift her eyes to the Lord and she praises God Almighty.Unless and untill we lift our eyes and hearts to the Lord we cannot praise / glorify God.If we want to experience the power, if we wnt to experience the blessings in our life, we need to lift our eyes above, we need to turn to God.

3.The experience of True Sabbath : The synagogue ruler was the representative of the diseased community than the woman who got the healing touch from Jesus. The concept of Jesus and the concept of the Synagogue ruler is different.

Why did Christ heal her on Sabbath itself ? The healing on sabbath - the completion and fulfilment of whole creation on the seventh day - it's a proof that the worshipping community should be complete in it's fulness.From verse 15 we find that Jesus is trying to point out and teach that a woman is more important than these animals.Since last 18yrs. she was in the bondage of satan, but now she experiences the healing touch and she is delivered from her infirmity.

                              On that Sabbath day the Creator stood before the creature.The imperfect became perfect. Through this Jesus exposed the hollow spirituality of the worshipping community.They were pretending to be blind to the needs of the needy.But according to Jesus worship would reach its fulness only when this bent woman could experince the true happiness. What about our worships ? Do they happen to be the eye openers to the needs of the people in the periphery ? Are we able to give true fellowship to the people who are lonely ?

Our Master did that. We are to follow Him. So each moment in our life be an oppurtunity for this true worship. Sure Jesus is with us. Rejoice in true worship.