St Louis UBF UBF Bible Study : Luke 13:1-17 (2011)

Bible Study Materials

Luke 13:1-17 (2011)

by Augustine Suh /Paul Choi / 08/07/2011

Question

JESUS HEALS A CRIPPLED WOMAN

Luke 13:1-17

Key Verse:13:12,13

1. Read verses 1-5. What was the gruesome news that some people brought to Jesus? How did people understand this event? What was their view of the relationship between suffering and sin? (Compare Jn 9:2) In what way were they fatalistic?

2. How did Jesus answer? What other similar event did he mention? What did he teach? What more basic problem did he see in those who raised this question? How did he challenge them? How does real repentance solve the fundamental problem of human beings?

3. Read verses 6-9. What was the problem of the fig tree planted in a man’s vineyard? What was the owner’s proposed solution? What was the caretaker’s plea? What does this parable teach us about the meaning of repentance? (See Lk 3:8)

4. Read verses 10-13. Where was Jesus and what was he doing? What was the long time problem of a woman who came to the synagogue? Describe her agony. What did Jesus say and do? What happened? What was her response? What does this teach about Jesus?

5. Read verse 14. How did the synagogue ruler rebuke the people? What scripture did he refer to? What does this show about his relationship to God? His shepherd heart for people? His understanding of scripture?

6. Read verses 15-17. How did Jesus expose the man’s hypocrisy and poor Biblical understanding? How did Jesus see this woman? How did the people respond? How does Jesus set us free? (How is Jesus’ teaching about sin and repentance fundamentally different from the concept of the Pharisees?)

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JESUS HEALS A CRIPPLED WOMAN-questions.doc

Message

JESUS SET US FREE

Luke 13:10-17

Key Verse: 13:12 “When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.”

Last week we heard the message titled, “Repent or Perish” We have the tendency to judge others, thinking that we are better than them. When bad things happen to others, we often think that they deserve such things. I think like this whenever I see another driver receiving a ticket from a police officer. But how did Jesus warn us? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Instead of judging others, we must view our own sins and repent. Repentance is not only changing our thoughts, but also changing our lives from sin to God. It requires our obedience to God’s word in our daily life. Jesus gave us two options, whether we “Repent or perish.”

Today, Jesus does not warn us, but shows us his unceasing compassion for sinners like us. Jesus demonstrated his compassion by healing a crippled woman. Jesus said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Today, let us learn how Jesus healed this woman and how he gave her a new body and a new life.

This story happened on a Sabbath while Jesus was teaching in a synagogue. A synagogue is a Jewish meeting place for worship and Bible study. As we do every Sunday, Jews did not work on the Sabbath but gathered at the synagogue to hear God’s word. Jesus was teaching the word of God while surrounded by many. The eyes of everyone followed each movement of Jesus. But Jesus’ eyes fell on a woman who was hidden by the crowd. Jesus focused on her. Who was she? Look at verse 11. “and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.” Outward appearance is important to a woman. So women usually take longer to make up and dress than men. Men need to make sure to only make positive comments about women’s outward appearance. But to this woman, her outward appearance was no longer important. She no longer cared about make up and dresses because she had been crippled for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. Literally speaking, she was a hunchback. Until we lose our health, we don’t realize the importance of being healthy. How blessed we are when we are free to walk and free to stretch out! But this woman could not straighten up at all. She could not cook properly because she was bent over. She loved children, but she couldn’t hug them dearly because of her crooked back. While others were walking, jumping, and running, she was always creeping along like an American possum. She could only see people’s legs and feet. There was no heaven to her, but only ground. This woman was an object of sympathy.

Verse 11 says that she had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. So she was really crippled not by her deformed body, but by Satan. In verse 16 Jesus said that Satan had kept bound her for eighteen years. Human beings are spiritual beings. People believe that our bodies are separated from our spirits. But, body and spirit are intimately related to each other. For example, when you are gripped with fear, you cannot move even a finger. Fear paralyzed your whole body. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, your body produces unlimited strength and energy. The woman in this passage had been filled with sorrow and despair. Whenever she tried to straighten up, Satan whispered to her, saying, “No, you can’t. You are crippled. Give up!” In this way Satan had bound her not for a year, but for eighteen years. For eighteen years not only her body but also her soul had been crippled.

When Jesus saw her, his heart went out to her. He was filled with compassion for her. So he stopped teaching and called her forward. But it was not easy for her to appear in public. Even though she didn’t care about her outward appearance, her pride as a woman kept her from standing in public. Until now she had received enough contempt and humiliation from people. Appearing in public, especially before the critical and judging religious leaders, was like killing herself. However, her desire to be healed overpowered all these obstacles. Above all, she was moved by Jesus’ compassion. She did not expect that Jesus would notice her among the crowd. Jesus could have ignored her or delayed healing her. However, Jesus stopped teaching and called her forward. By faith she came to Jesus.

What did Jesus say to her? Look at verse12, “When Jesus saw here, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Jesus proclaimed her freedom from infirmity. Here the word ‘infirmity’ defines the state of being ‘in-firm”, of being weak and sick in body. Biblically speaking, infirmity is not confined to physical ailments, but also implies moral and spiritual frailty caused by Adam’s original sin. In the beginning, God provided men with strong and immortal bodies. There was no sickness, pain, aging, or death in the beginning. God made men perfect. However, Adam failed to keep this blessing. He sinned against God by disobeying God’s word. Since then, Adam was cursed and began to suffer from infirmity, along with his wife. God said in Genesis 3:16, “To woman he (God) said, “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children.” To Adam God said, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life….By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Ge 3:17-19)

We are the descendants of Adam and Eve regardless of our differences of race, nationality, and culture. As long as we keep these infirm bodies, we suffer from weaknesses and sickness. This woman suffered from her crippled body. She was also accused by Satan who had bound her with sorrow and despair for the last eighteen years. Now Jesus calls her to stand. Now, the day of liberation has come. The day of healing by God’s mercy has reached her. Jesus sets her free from her infirmity, saying, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” When Jesus sets her free, she is free indeed. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin….So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (Jn 8:34,36)

Jesus has authority to set us free from our infirmities. Jesus has power to heal us from all our sickness and weakness. The prophet Isaiah prophesied about this in Isaiah 53:4,5 “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, …But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” At that time, Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. Why was Jesus going to Jerusalem? He was on his way to Jerusalem to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah. He was going to Jerusalem to take up our infirmities and carry our sorrows. He would soon suffer and die. He would be nailed to the cross and would shed his precious blood. By his wounds we have been healed. By his death we have been freed from eternal condemnation. We praise Jesus who took up our infirmities in order to set us free. We give thanks to Jesus for his sacrificial death on the cross for our sins.

Today Jesus is willing to show his love to us. He is willing to set us free from our infirmities. I believe that Jesus has already set you free from your infirmities today. I believe that Jesus has healed you from your chronic sickness and weaknesses by his mercy and power. Jesus is also ready to set you free from whatever binds you. What really binds you in body and soul? Some may be bound by addiction to internet surfing or watching pornography. Others may be bound by despair, sense of failure, and sense of loss. I pray that Jesus may set you free from all of these. Still others may be bound by fear, hatred, anger, lust and other evil spirits. May Jesus set you free from all these infirmities! May Jesus set you free from all obsession, oppression, and addiction! If Jesus sets you free, you are free indeed. Amen.

What did Jesus do after he said this to her? Look at verse 13. “Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.” Jesus healed the sick by putting his hands on them in only a few cases. Jesus could have healed her just by saying the words. His words had enough power and authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal the sick. However, Jesus put his hands on her. He touched her. It was the healing touch of God’s hand. The Messiah demonstrated his compassionate love for the crippled woman. When the hands of Jesus touched her, all her sorrow was gone. All the wounds deep in her soul were healed. No one had wanted to be touched by her, even by accident. People had avoided her as much as possible. But Jesus put his hands on her and healed her. Jesus’ touching love saved her soul and lifted her up. When Jesus put his hands on her, immediately she straightened up and praised God. She was set free from her infirmity as Jesus had proclaimed. Her heart was filled with joy and thanks to God. In the past, she could not sit on a chair properly. But now, she stood up and praised God with joyful singspiration.

There was a young girl in Astana Kazakhstan. When she was a year old, her parents left her. She grew up under her grandmother. However, anger and bitterness grew in her heart as years went by. She felt abandoned by her parents. She abused her body and soul until her anger subsided. She hated her life. So she attempted to commit suicide several times. Each time she failed. However, she met a UBF missionary and began to study the bible. Through the bible studies, she came to know that God made her life beautiful and that he had a great plan for her life. It took time for her to understand this. However, she began to taste the love of God little by little through Jesus. Finally she accepted God’s love, by which he sent his One and Only Son Jesus Christ to die for her sins. The moment she accepted Jesus as her Savior and Lord, she became a new creation. Her life was completely changed from darkness to light, from death to life. She began to praise God by singing and dancing. Jesus set her free from her infirmity and gave her a new body and a new life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.”

There is no failure and despair in Jesus. Jesus took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows. He has power and authority to set us free from our infirmities. Above all, he is full of compassion and mercy for helpless and powerless sinners like us. I pray that we all may hear Jesus’ word and be healed from our weaknesses and sickness. Amen.

While the woman was praising God with joy, there was a very unhappy man among the crowd. He was the synagogue ruler. He was indignant because Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath. So he said to people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” (14) In modern terms, he meant, “Do not go to hospital on Sunday. Wait until Monday to be healed.” How did Jesus answer the man? Look at verses 1516. “The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not his woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” What Jesus meant was that the woman was much important and precious than animals and that she deserved to be healed anytime and anywhere. Love goes beyond the law. In fact, the spirit of the law is love. In exercising love, there are no limitations or restrictions.

Look at verse 17. “When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.” I believe that some day we all will be delighted with all the wonderful things Jesus has done for us. The day when we are liberated from these mortal bodies and clothed with new, glorious heavenly bodies, we will be delighted with our Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul described the day of liberation saying, “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed…and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.” (1 Cor 15:51-54) Amen.

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Jesus sets us free-message.doc

Message

Repent or Perish By Augustine Suh

Luke13:1-9

Key Verse 13: 9: “If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.”

People like to hear about good things such as blessing and prosperity, but today I’m going to speak about words people don’t like to hear. They are the words “repentance” and “judgment.” These words are not very popular in our present day and age, especially in the U.S. Many churches avoid the message of repentance because people hate it. They are turned off by the message of repentance. They are turned on by the message of blessing and prosperity. But repentance is the subject of today’s passage. May God help us to pay attention to the word of truth!

Unless you repent…

In this morning’s passage, Jesus seems to clip two tragic stories from the local Jerusalem newspaper. Let’s begin with the first disaster. Look at verse 1. “Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.“

This would have been headlines in the Jerusalem Dispatch. It is likely that this event took place during the Passover, and some Galileans were offering sacrifices at the temple. Galileans were known for their hotheaded resistance to Roman rule. Apparently Pilate sent his soldiers to find some Galileans and slaughtered them while they were offering sacrifices. We don’t know any of the details. But there they were, offering their sacrifices. Pilate’s soldiers found them there and sliced them up in a very gruesome and gory way, so that their blood was mingled with the blood of the sacrifices. Perhaps the men who told Jesus about this were shaking their heads as they spoke. They might have expected Jesus to explain why this happened to those Galileans or why God punished them.

What was Jesus’ answer? Look at verse 2. “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?”

We first need to understand there was a belief in Jesus’ day that good things happened to good or righteous people, while bad things always happened to bad people. It was like a punishment from God. Therefore, if Pilate murdered some Galileans while they were sacrificing in the Temple, guess what the popular opinion was? They must have deserved it for some sinful rebellious act.

But Jesus calls their conventional theology into question. Now do you think that the reason this happened to them was because they were the greatest sinners in Galilee? Is that what you think? Do you suppose that?
Jesus said in response, “No.” The Galileans who were slaughtered by Pilate were not greater sinners than others.

Let’s go to the second calamity. Jesus brings up another issue from the front page. Look at verse 4. “Or those who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them – do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?”

If a tower fell on eighteen people and killed them, guess what? It must have been some form of punishment from God because of the sin in their lives. Did God judge them for their excessive sin? Were they worse sinners than the others living in Jerusalem? Jesus said in response, “No.”

Then, what is Jesus’ point? Look at verses 3 and 5. “But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Here Jesus does not give a roundabout answer to their question about these tragedies. Jesus rejects the question about the degree of sin because it distracts from the real question. He challenges us to think about deeper issues.

The real calamity is not that you were killed in the temple or that the tower fell on you or that you died by any other means. The true calamity is that you die and experience the judgment of God. The issue is not how people die or when they die or by what cause they die. The issue is that they die without repenting of their sin.

How easy it is to be self-righteous and point the finger at other people for “deserving” the punishment. “They deserved it, those sinners.” But Jesus is pointing the finger back at his followers; Jesus is trying to get them to see their own sin. For example, this year when the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, it was so easy to point out and say, “This must be a punishment from God.”

But Jesus wants us not to judge others, but to point the finger back at ourselves and realize our own guilt, our own sin, and that God judges us all equally. Don’t make the mistake of believing that bad things always happen to bad people, and good things only happen to good people. People who had tragic endings were not necessarily greater sinners than anyone else.

In truth, it’s an equal playing field before a perfect and holy God; sin is sin, and we all need to repent. There are no innocent human beings. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "There is no one righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10). We are all on equal ground before God because all of us have sinned. In God’s eyes, even one sin, whether in thought, word, or deed separates us from Him apart from Jesus Christ. God does not have a measuring stick to compare those who are worse sinners than others. God is not going to compare us to each other on judgment day; God is going to compare us to his perfect sinless Son Jesus Christ. And quite honestly all of us will fall short of that mark.

Jesus reminds us, “Unless you repent of your sin, you too will perish.” Jesus is saying, “If you want to believe bad things happen to sinful people, you better look out because you might be next.” Jesus is saying, “Look, don’t assume anything. You’re going to likewise perish except you repent.” Just because Pilate’s soldiers ran by you to get to those Galileans, say nothing about your righteousness. Just because the tower fell and you had just left a few minutes before, don’t presume that you are more righteous than those killed.

What it does mean is that God is showing you more mercy, more patience, giving you more opportunity to repent. The word “repentance” means, first of all, to change one’s mind or heart. Everything begins in your mind and thinking. You must change your thinking about yourself, sin, and God. You must turn from sin and turn toward God. Either you repent or perish. It is that simple.

If it bears fruit next year…

After hearing Jesus’ message, “Repent or perish,” people might have been frightened. But Jesus had something more to say, that is, that repentance must bear fruit. In other words, talk is cheap; there must be evidence of our commitment to turning from sin. Jesus pointed this out with an illustration about a fig tree.

A man went to look at the fig tree in his garden again and again, but there was no fruit on it. Three years went by, but still nothing. He ordered his gardener to cut it down because it was just taking up good space. But the gardener asked to give it one more chance by fertilizing it and waiting another year.
Jesus says, there must be fruit of repentance, evidence that God can see that we have turned from sinful life. Anyone can say the words, but we should mean it by trying to turn from our sin. Repentance involves changing one’s mind in a way that affects change in the person. Repentance alters your life.

With repentance, you can’t stay the way you are. With repentance, you can’t keep going where you were going. With repentance, you can’t keep talking the way you were talking. With repentance, you can’t keep thinking the way you’ve been thinking. With repentance, you can’t keep doing the things you’ve been doing. With repentance, you can’t keep acting the way you’ve been acting.

Repentance is a change of mind about self, sin and the Savior. It is a change that results in change of life. It is a turning from sin and a turning to the Savior. It is a change in direction.

The words “Cut it down!” refer to God’s impending judgment. They echo the message of John the Baptist, who said, “The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Lk 3:9).

However, in the parable, there is a caretaker who intercedes on behalf of the fig tree. Look at verses 8-9. “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

Fortunately, we are reminded of God’s mercy. God entrusts the farmer to put more fertilizer around the tree, and give the tree another chance. God is merciful and gives us many opportunities to repent and turn to him, but the parable makes clear that the mercy of God does not last forever. Some day death will take us, or Christ will return and we will be out of time. His mercy must lead us to repentance. Romans 2:4 says, “Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance.”
So we have to ask ourselves, are we pointing our fingers at others’ sin rather than pointing the finger back at ourselves? What sin in our own lives do we need to repent of? An attitude, thoughts, a behavior, or action? We must ask ourselves, “What is the fruit of my repentance?”

What should amaze us is not that some are taken in calamity, but that we are spared and given another day to repent. The really amazing thing is not that sinners perish, but that God is so slow to anger that you and I can sit here this morning and have another chance to repent. I pray we might realize repentance is really a good thing. It's good for us because it saves us and makes us right with God. May God help us to respond to Jesus’ love and hope for each of us with all our hearts and lives!

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