"And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who for eighteen years had a sickness caused by a spirit, and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. But when Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your sickness." And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God. But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus healed on the Sabbath, answered and was saying to the crowd, "There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day." But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath release his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead it away to water it? And this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for—behold—eighteen years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?" And as He said this, all His opponents were being put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him."
Good Morning my beloved,
We welcome you to worship today in the name of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for joining us today, whether it's your first time or you are a faithful member of our family in Christ, your presence is acknowledged and truly appreciated. If you have recently received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please contact us so that we can include you in our prayers.
From time to time I encounter someone who wants to talk about Jesus until you start talking about the Jesus of the Bible rather than the warm and fuzzy, teddy bear Jesus being proclaimed today. The problem is, that many people who claim to follow Jesus don’t even know Him. They only want to talk about Jesus as long as you don’t talk about how He really didn't affirm sin but He actually confronted it, calling sinners to recognition of their sin and repentance. The biblical description of knowing Jesus is not merely intellectual acknowledgment of Who Jesus is or a superficial understanding of His teachings, or even verbal profession of faith apart from obedience to His commands. Claiming belief in His name requires a personal, transformative relationship. Which He clearly emphasized in Matthew 7, when He stated, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven"
From time to time I encounter someone who wants to talk about Jesus until you start talking about the Jesus of the Bible rather than the warm and fuzzy, teddy bear Jesus being proclaimed today. The problem is, that many people who claim to follow Jesus don’t even know Him. They only want to talk about Jesus as long as you don’t talk about how He really didn't affirm sin but He actually confronted it, calling sinners to recognition of their sin and repentance. The biblical description of knowing Jesus is not merely intellectual acknowledgment of Who Jesus is or a superficial understanding of His teachings, or even verbal profession of faith apart from obedience to His commands. Claiming belief in His name requires a personal, transformative relationship. Which He clearly emphasized in Matthew 7, when He stated, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven"
This is not isolated teaching from Jesus, He frequently confronted those who claimed to be one thing, while their lives actually affirmed something quite different, using powerful metaphors to describe their outwardly righteous, inwardly corrupt spiritual condition, calling them "hypocrites" and "whitewashed tombs," and blind guides, (Matthew 23) who are like their father the devil, doing the desires of their father, who does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. (John 8:44) The division that Jesus often spoke of was not merely political or social as we so often see today, were but spiritual, separating those who truly seeking God from those who only outwardly pretended, all while desperately clinging to their religious pride and self-justification. One of the greatest marks of a true Christian is humility, who hunger and thirst for righteousness. This spiritual hunger is not passive but an all-consuming desire, reflecting a intense longing for what one cannot live without. When you read God's Word, do you hunger and thirst for righteousness, asking Him to transform your life to reflect His nature in every aspect of your life or are you merely checking the box, getting your time in?
Jesus promises that those who earnestly seek His righteousness will be filled, enabling them to forgive others even when its hard or they are deemed "undeserving," remembering that we too are undeserving of God's gracious mercy and forgiveness. It also means standing firm on God's Word, even at a personal cost. Jesus' firm uncompromising commitment to stand on the Truth, alienated Him from those He dearly loved and put Him at odds with those He ultimately died for, His enemies, asking His Father to forgive them because they didn't understand what they were doing, the ultimate expression of love. In John 15:13, Jesus emphatically said "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends," emphasizing that one's willingness to sacrifice their life for others was indeed the highest expression of love. Hungering and thirsting for righteous is not just about reading God's Word to acquire biblical knowledge but is about genuine transformation, satisfying our deepest spiritual needs, which can only be met by growing in Christ-likeness. Everything we are witnessing is all part of God's Divine Plan as we continue to move toward the Day of the Lord, and the end of humanity as we now know it. For those of us in Christ, we need not be afraid, but we can Rejoice! Our redemption is nearer than its ever been. For those of you who are reading this and do not know Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, now, today is the day of salvation. Tomorrow could very well prove to be too late! It is not God's desire that any should perish, but for all to come to repentance. However, because man-kind still possesses free-will, some of you will choose to reject this message, ultimately rejecting God Himself.
Let's pray together
Heavenly Father,
Father, we’re very thankful for Your Word, we are grateful for the conviction it brings when we least expect it. We are so very grateful that You have chosen to redeem us, picking us out of the crowd, not because of our strength or righteousness, but in spite of our flaws, our lives in shambles from the weight of our sin, thinking we are fine in our delusional state of self-righteousness and self-sufficiency. Lord, it's amazing in the way that we somehow find ourselves in virtually every passage of Scripture. Thank You for correcting our spiritual posture, so that we might walk in integrity and humility. And, while it is true that there is so much for us to be rejoicing over, we cannot help but grieve, with deep, profound sadness for the world around us, those who are indifferent to Christ, those who are so filled with hatred at the mention of His name and those who are blindly self-deceived, playing church week after week, walking self-righteously crooked in a crooked world. Lord, we pray that You would speak to our hearts through Your Holy Spirit, as if You were physically here through the illumination of Your Word. Guard our tongues, set a watch over the door of our mouths that we might not speak anything that is unpleasing to You. We are ask and pray these things in Christ's most precious name, for our good and Your glory.
Amen.
Today's Message: Standing Straight In A Crooked World
Jesus has had a deeply complex relationship with the Jewish people — a detail often hinted at in the earliest chapters of Luke's Gospel, but now, it is intensifying as He deliberately "sets His face" against the self-righteous religious leaders and their corrupt religious system, who questioned His authority in Matthew 21:23, plotting against him, and rejecting Him as the promised Messiah, in spite of fulfilling Jewish expectations and numerous prophecies. What initially began as subtle innuendo has quickly evolved into an unavoidable clash in challenging their hypocritical practices, exposing their spiritual bankruptcy in the synagogue with His sharp words of rebuke for those who claim to represent God's truth while distorting it for their own purposes are becoming impossible to ignore. A synagogue was a gathering place, called a house of instruction. They had no reigning priest, just board of lay elders and one of them served in a leadership role, responsible for overseeing things. Before anybody starts dragging out your Bible and searching for the term "lay elder," its not there, it doesn't exist in the Bible, so I'll save you time on the search. It is just a common term often used to distinguish an unpaid staff member and a paid staff member. Much the same way elders serve in the local congregation, providing spiritual oversight, guidance, and direction under the Authority of Jesus Christ. They are also are expected to fulfill several key responsibilities, as part of their service, which include teaching the Word of God, leading the church toward spiritual maturity, modeling godly character, praying for those in the congregation, and training others to continue the church’s teaching ministry.
There is a very stringent list of biblical qualifications for pastors and elders, which includes lay elders, that quite frankly, many do not meet; such as being above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but considerate, peaceable, free from the love of money; leading his own household well, having his children in submission with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to lead his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation of the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. (1 Timothy 3:1-7) A pastor that is trying to please both the congregation and God is serving neither. This may sound quite illogical but can you be blind while still seeing? Since the fall of Adam, spiritual blindness has been a universal human condition. Only Christ alone can open the eyes of the blind and lead men out of the darkness. There is no other way out than to follow Christ, Who is the Light that shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overtake it. The Greek word used for comprehend, overcome or overtake, depending on your translation, suggests to seize, taking by force. How many people have heard the Gospel preached, witnessed the miracles He has performed, and listen to the testimonies of people whose lives He has completely transformed, yet, they are unable see Christ.
Let's open our Bibles to the Gospel of Luke. Luke chapter 13, verses 10-17. I'd like to encourage you to follow along with me as I read these eight verses on this very profound incident that produces conflict.
"And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who for eighteen years had a sickness caused by a spirit, and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. But when Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your sickness." And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God. But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus healed on the Sabbath, answered and was saying to the crowd, "There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day." But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath release his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead it away to water it? And this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for—behold—eighteen years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?" And as He said this, all His opponents were being put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him."
Let's look at verse 10, "And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath." This incident occurs in a synagogue, in a town, on the Sabbath. Luke really doesn't provide us with many more details than that. I believe its because those minor details really doesn't matter, the point I believe that Luke is driving at here, it doesn't matter when or where, the emphasis is on the proclamation of the Gospel. It doesn't matter where the Truth is boldly proclaimed is the face of hypocrisy, confronting a false religious system, its going to produce conflict. It's the same today because false doctrine is still being taught in colleges and seminaries, Satan still goes to church and so do hypocrites. I have spent much time studying and meditating on the words of Jesus and the way He acted.
The result is I love Him more and more, and I pray that His unwavering commitment to proclaiming the Truth will rub off on me. I have come along way, but the further I get, the more I realize I've yet to go. Walking straight in a crooked and perverse world isn't easy, in fact, requires intentional focus on Truth amidst the moral distortions and cultural distractions, anchoring ourselves to the divine principals found in God's Word alone. Its so sad to witness to many who have fallen for Satan's lies, where truth is being maligned, twisted and distorted to serve personal desires, because it "tickles their ears" however, Scripture is clear, deviating from God’s Truth, and embracing moral corruption as a lifestyle will not lead to the Kingdom of God but the kingdom of darkness. I am frequently asked "Why judgment is emphasized in so much of my teaching, despite the many blessings available to those in Christ?" The answer is simple, many who think they are in Christ are ill-prepared for His return, thinking they can partake of all the world has to offer, having "prayed the prayer."
I believe the contemporary church is facing a significant crisis rooted in the prevalence of shallow preaching and an oversimplified presentation of the Gospel message, which has ultimately resulted in a dramatic shift in the spiritual composition of modern Christianity, producing congregations filled with believers who increasingly mirror the characteristics of the five foolish virgins from Jesus' parable in Matthew 25, who, while claiming to have saving faith, lack the depth of spiritual preparation, wisdom, and genuine commitment that marks true discipleship. Furthermore, they are tragically unprepared for the challenges of authentic Christian living and the return of Christ, having been fed a diluted version of salvation that promises much and demands very little.
Conversely, we are witnessing a very troubling decline in the number of Christians who embody the necessary qualities of the five wise virgins: spiritual preparedness, maintaining their devotion to Christ through life's difficulties, and possessing the oil of genuine faith and the Holy Spirit's presence in their lives, living in anticipation of His imminent return. I believe this imbalance threatens not only the vitality of the church, but the authenticity as fewer and fewer believers are equipped with the theological depth, spiritual maturity, and unwavering commitment necessary to endure trials and remain faithful to the end. The idea that judgment is only for unbelievers is incomplete, as believers will stand before Christ at the Bema Seat, to give an account of their lives since becoming a Christian, which is distinctly different from which is distinctly different from the Great White Throne Judgment, which is reserved for those whose names are not found written in the Book of Life, indicating that regardless of their profession, they have not placed their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.
Therefore, I believe the key to answering that question is found in this phrase "to those who are in Christ." You see, those who are in Christ will live their daily lives, while living in anticipation of His return. The rest, will continue to live on the broad road, acting as if they've got plenty of time to get their lives "ready" before His return. That's why Jesus frequently compared His Second Coming to the days are Noah, people just went about their daily living, ignoring the warnings from Noah for 120 years calling them to be prepared, to be ready, demonstrating the Lord's patience with sinners while they mocked and ridiculed Noah until the rain began to fall. It goes without saying, this same principal of being spiritually prepared for the Lord's unexpected return can be seen in the Parable of the Talents,
in which a master entrusts his servants with talents—large sums of money, each according to his ability—before going on a journey. They were each expected to use what they had been given and produce a spiritual return, the message is about faithful stewardship. From the very beginning of Scripture, as the genuine children of God, we are commanded to maximize our opportunities, while those who are disingenuine, unproductive servants. The 5 foolish virgins weren’t wicked, they were negligent, and were excluded from the wedding feast when the door was shut. The servant wasn’t immoral, he just did nothing with what God gave him and wasted his opportunity to serve his Master, and he cast into the outer darkness.
The point is, it isn't just what you do that will exclude you from the Kingdom of Heaven it’s also what you don’t do. As James says, the hearers and not the doers! As Jesus reminds us in Matthew 7, they built their house on sinking sand rather than the Rock of Salvation. So how does Satan weaken biblical churches, that boldly proclaim the Gospel? I believe the answer is found in Ezekiel 28:13, which in earlier translations suggested that Lucifer was a master musician, quite possibly the leader of heavenly worship, with wind and percussion instruments integrated into his very nature, using music to magnify God before turning it toward himself, becoming a tool for self-exaltation.
Interestingly enough, most modern translations of the Bible like the ESV and NIV, widely used in today's contemporary church, no longer include references to the musical instruments, which stated, "the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created," they instead focus on the on the adornment of precious stones. The "mla'kah" meaning ministry of thy "tuppeicha" tambourines and pipes (implying in the upper chest and hands, which in most every other place these words are used in the Bible they are referring to musical instruments. (Genesis 31:27, 1 Samuel 10:5, 1 Samuel 18:6) Furthermore, there is no clear precedent for redefining them as anything other musical instruments elsewhere in Scripture, with the exception of Zechariah 4. And I believe that Isaiah 14:11-12, clearly further supports that "Your pride and the music of your harps have been brought down to Sheol; Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you and worms are your covering.’How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!
Since the New Testament clearly portrays Satan as the father of lies (John 8:44), the one who blinds minds (2 Corinthians 4:4), disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), and seeks worship (Revelation 13; Revelation 20:10), so it is not the least bit surprising that he would attack a biblical church at the point of its worship music, which can appear outwardly innocent enough but inwardly corrupted. I am convinced that Satan weakens biblically strong churches by subtly shifting the focus in the worship music from the objective glory of God to our subjective feelings about God. I believe that true worship music is saturated with God’s Word, aimed at God’s glory, and edifying to the body of Christ, (Ephesians 5:18–20; Colossians 3:16), something that, after years of careful observation, I believe contemporary worship music lacks by playing on the emotional needs and desires of those inwardly selfishly seeking personal satisfaction through personal breakthroughs especially from dominant "worship music" producers like Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation, subtly shifting the focus away from God’s attributes, promises, and redemptive acts by using repetitive language designed to evoke human emotions that emphasizes the individual’s experience, as a spiritual counterfeit to biblical worship. A cursory analyses of a typical modern worship catalog shows a decline in explicit references to sin, wrath, repentance, substitutionary atonement, judgment, and the fear of the Lord, with a corresponding increase in vague language about love, freedom, and personal victories.
But, I digress.
Moving on to verse 11, "And behold, there was a woman," for those who want to believe Jesus was a gentle, passive teddy bear figure who never offended anyone, pay close attention—this is a powerful passage. He is going to use this woman, an outcast for 18 years to heighten the conflict and bring it into even sharper focus. "There was a woman who for eighteen years had a sickness caused by a spirit, and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all." As we discussed in an earlier message, the prevailing Jewish theology was if you were suffering from any type of affliction, its because you were a bad person. In other words, bad people deserve bad things to happen, because you've done something wrong and haven't come clean about it. 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is" ..what? Faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." And, in contrast, good things happened to good people. Scripture does assure us that the righteous will be rewarded and that their future glory far surpasses any present suffering, but our true riches our in Christ, not necessarily in earthly wealth and prosperity.
I believe this woman's story is not just one of physical healing; but another profound example of God's compassion, the bondage of legalism, and the freedom found in Christ. I've often been asked "Why eighteen years?" Since six is the number of human imperfection, three sets of six may symbolize that her sickness and suffering was caused by an unclean spirit. As I stated many times over the years, Satan and his demons go to church. Whenever you bring you the Truth message of Gospel into any environment of false religion, you are confronting Satan's damning error, you can expect conflict with Satan. In one way or another, all forms of false religion are under the influence of Satan, even those who profess to be Christianity. Jehovah’s Witnesses are one such group, because they explicitly denies the divinity of Christ, and is Michael the Archangel in his pre-human existence. Similarly, Mormons also known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, deny the full deity of Christ, often reinterpreting Jesus’ nature as human. In their damning theology, Jesus is the Firstborn in the pre-mortal life, making Him Lucifer’s elder spirit-brother. I believe many churches are filled with people who are subject to Satan's influence. Why? Because they are not genuine converts. Demons cannot possess true believers, because the Holy Spirit indwells every genuine Christian, making their body a temple of God. The Holy Spirit’s presence is a guarantee of salvation and protection from demonic control. The temple of God is holy and cannot tolerate unclean things, although believers may still experience the influence of evil spirits. So, back to Luke, we don't know how this woman encountered this demon or why the demon chose her, we just know that this woman was bent bent over for eighteen years, unable to stand up straight and it was caused by a spirit.
Verse 12, "But when Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your sickness." Notice, she doesn't ask for healing; Jesus sees her need. Grace moves first. I love this! Friends, we do not serve some distant, far away God completely oblivious to our needs, we serve the God Who sees us in desperation and meets us where we are and apparent delays are not divine disinterest (Isaiah 49:14–16). Jesus sees this woman in a crowded synagogue on the Sabbath and called her over to Himself. Everybody knew that Jesus was a healer, Luke doesn't tell us if she had any knowledge that He would be there and she was hoping to be healed, in fact, he doesn't even say that she came to be healed. He doesn't say anything about her faith, whether she believed or didn't believe. We don't know if she became a follower of Jesus Christ that day, although I'd like to believe she did, we don't know because Luke doesn't tell us. Just this woman who has suffered for eighteen years, probably in the shadows, is about to be the star of the show! He compassionately sees her, and addresses her tenderly, just as He did His own mother in Cana. "Woman, you are freed from your sickness." In the Greek it's verb "apolelusai" which means to release fully and permanently. Her physical illness ceased to exist.
Verse 13, "And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God." Jesus could have healed with a word alone, but He chose to touch her. The laying on of hands symbolizes Authority and power, demonstrating compassion, a sign of nearness. He frequently healed by touch, as seen in healings like Mark 5:41, the raising of Jairus' daughter. He touched the eyes of two blind men to restore their sight after they followed Him and cried out for mercy, calling Him "Son of David," (Matthew 20:30-34) He laid hands on a blind man in Bethsaida, first spitting on his eyes and then touching them, and repeated the process until the man could see clearly (Mark 8:22-26) affirming the dignity and worth of each person He healed. I'd like you to notice healing was immediate and complete, as was the case with every miracle Jesus performed, healing is always instant and complete. She didn't stand straight up over times, or say someone didn't have enough faith like with those phony faith healers.
He healed her immediately, with or without faith and she was healed.
Verse 14, "But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus healed on the Sabbath, answered and was saying to the crowd, "There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day."
Notice the synagogue official shows no compassion for a woman who has suffered for eighteen long years; he is indignant, it's the Greek verb "aganakteó" he was moved with much anger, in other words, he was furious, after witnessing a woman who has suffered for eighteen years as well as merciless and loveless, saying to the crowd, "There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day." He's furious that Jesus healed her at the "wrong" time. Legalism often hides behind religious language. That's the way legalists are you know, there are no extenuating circumstances, just rules and regulations that cannot be broken. That's why Jesus said the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath, (Mark 2:27) indicating that the Sabbath's true purpose is to serve people, especially through acts of mercy and compassion, rather than a bunch of burdensome legalistic rules, keeping the letter of the law while breaking the spirit of God’s intentions, which love for God and love for your neighbor.
By the way, just in case you might be inclined to think that miracles produce faith, here's proof they don't. That's why Jesus said to them, in Matthew 12:39-40, "An evil and adulterous generation eagerly seeks for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." This synagogue official wasn't moved to faith by the miracle he just saw, he was moved to anger. And, it's the same today, only the Holy Spirit can produce faith in the penitent sinner.
Verse 15, "But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath release his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead it away to water it?" Jesus exposes their hypocrisy and foolish religious system by arguing from the lesser to the greater by comparing their compassion for an ox or a donkey on the Sabbath to their indifference toward a suffering human being. If you will remember, on another occasion, He said "What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?" (Matthew 12:11). Scripture consistently shows that people bear God’s image and are worth far more than animals. Israel’s self-righteous leaders turned God's system of mercy and compassion into a system of minutiae that allowed them to care for their animals but ignore the needs of suffering people. I'd like you to pause for a moment to honestly ask yourself, do tasks, schedules, or rules matter more than the actual needs of people? Or do take the opposite view like Jesus, any day, any time is the perfect time to demonstrate the love and compassion of God. If you're uncertain, ask yourself, "Does this practice deepen my love for God and demonstrate my love others?" If not, loosen the bondage to live more fruitfully.
Verse 16, "And this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for—behold—eighteen years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?" Jesus emphasizing she's a daughter of Abraham, this is not a Gentile, she's one of your own, having been bound by Satan, unable to straighten up for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this long-standing suffering on the Sabbath? This escalating conflict explains why Jesus was ultimately crucified. His greatest critics were humiliated, publicly exposed for loving their man-made rules more than people. Do you find joy when others are blessed, healed, or used by God, do you resent the fact that it isn't you?
That brings us to verse 17, "And as He said this, all His opponents were being put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him." He stopped them dead in their self-exalted tracks. They knew the Scriptures, they knew what could and could not be done on the Sabbath, they diluted the laws to provide for their animals, and they condensed it when it came becoming instruments of the same grace and mercy they received, gently restoring the bound and burdened, bearing one another’s burdens, and thus fulfilling the law. I believe that same tension still exists in many churches today. The hard-hearted religious people are shamed by grace, reflecting a failure to embrace the same mercy, grace and humility that Jesus Himself exemplified. Every time someone is suffering or in need, we have an opportunity to either display the heart of Christ or reveal our own self-righteous pride. You can imagine all His adversaries were not only humiliated, they shocked when "the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him." Hardened-hearts that lack humility and compassion often speak the right religious language while quietly resenting "messy people" who suffer from circumstances they don't understand. When religious people become closed off to the needs of others, particularly those who are vulnerable and "messy," hurting people stop listening for God.
I pray that it would never be so..
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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