Daily Reflection – 10/27/2025
Sacred Scripture
Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, “Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.” He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the Sabbath, said to the crowd in reply, “There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the Sabbath day.” The Lord said to him in reply, “Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead it out for watering? This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the Sabbath day from this bondage?” When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him. (Luke 13:10-17)
Reflection
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus issues a clear and persistent invitation: “Follow me.” It’s a call that echoes through the centuries, asking us not just to believe in him, but to walk in his ways. But do we?
In this passage from Luke’s Gospel, we see a vivid demonstration of what this following truly looks like. It shows us the compassion, the kindness, and the mercy that should define our own lives if we are to answer his call.
We are introduced to a woman who had been crippled for eighteen long years. She was bent over, unable to stand up straight. Imagine the physical pain and limitation she endured. But her condition was more than just physical. There is a profound spiritual analogy in her posture; she was physically unable to look up. Her eyes were constantly fixed on the ground, on the dust. Her physical state surely had deep psychological and spiritual effects, weighing down her spirit just as her ailment weighed down her body. Yet, despite her condition, she came to the synagogue. In her suffering, she still sought God. She knew, deep within her, that she needed God, even if she could not lift her head to heaven.
Into this scene of quiet suffering steps Jesus. He sees her, calls her forward, and heals her. It is an act of pure compassion. But this beautiful moment of restoration is immediately met with criticism. The leader of the synagogue, representing the rigid interpretation of the law, is indignant that Jesus performed a healing on the Sabbath. The Pharisees had constructed so many rules around the original Mosaic law—fences designed to protect it—that these rules had become more important than the people they were meant to serve. In their strict observance, they had forgotten the very heart of God’s law: love. They believed that on the Lord’s Day, they should refuse to show active love to a person in need.
Jesus’ response exposes their hypocrisy with sharp clarity. He points out that they would untie their own ox or donkey and lead it to water on the Sabbath. They showed basic care for their animals, yet they balked at showing compassion to a “daughter of Abraham” who had been bound by illness for nearly two decades. Their priorities were hypocritical; they cared for their possessions but had no compassion for their fellow human beings.
Herein lies a crucial principle for our own spiritual lives. Imitating God, following Jesus, means that love must be our first and guiding action. Even when we are engaged in good, religious activities—like attending worship or observing spiritual disciplines— love for the person in front of us takes precedence. The parable of the Good Samaritan teaches this same lesson. The priest and the Levite were on their way to the temple, a holy and important duty. But they passed by a man beaten and left for dead. The Samaritan, an outsider, stopped. He understood that when someone is hurting, when someone is in desperate need, our primary calling is to stop and help. We are called to step out of our comfortable routines and lead with love.
We may not be able to solve every problem we encounter. The Good Samaritan didn’t solve everything, but he did what he could. He cleaned the man’s wounds, took him to an inn, and paid for his care. He stopped. He cared. He acted out of love. This is the model for us. God wants us to act as Jesus did for the bent-over woman. He wants us to be sensitive to the “curvatures” in the lives of those around us—the burdens, sorrows, and struggles that keep them from lifting their minds, hearts, and souls to God.
Few of us have been given the gift of performing physical miracles. We cannot simply speak a word and heal a person’s chronic illness. However, we have been given the power to perform another kind of miracle. We can offer our presence. We can sit with those who are suffering and let them know they are not alone. In a world where so many feel isolated in their pain, amidst all the divisiveness and rancor, the simple act of being there, of listening, of showing you care, can begin to free them from the bondage of isolation. When we do this, we become imitators of God, reflecting the compassionate heart of Jesus.
This week, let us pray for eyes to see the people around us who are bent over, whether by physical ailment, emotional sorrow, or spiritual doubt. Let us ask for the courage to step out of our own plans and move toward them with the gentle, healing love of Christ.
May we follow him not just in words, but in deeds of quiet compassion, helping others, in some small way, to look up once more.
Prayer of The Day
“Lord Jesus, you grant freedom to those who seek you. Give me freedom to walk in your way of love and to praise and worship you always. Show me how I can bring your mercy and healing love to those in need around me.”
Daily Note
We believe that each of us is created in the image and likeness of God. Yet, much of the world acts as if that is the last thing on our mind. Jesus came to remind us to love one another. If we take that to heart then we know that when we act beyond our self-centered love, when we reach out to another in love, then we are following in the path of Christ. We are truly acting in imitation of him.
