A Crippled Woman Healed on the Sabbath (Luke 13:10-17)

We started the night with the reading of the passage fom Luke 13:10-17, followed by a bibliodrama.

Reflecting our feelings or insights from the role play:

The role of Jesus:

• Feel for the bent woman
• Want her to be well
• Want to restore her to position in community
• Make people aware of the disabled
• Feel that Sabbath is fulfillment of God’s promise
• They (synagogue rulers) didn’t understand

The role of the woman:

• Felt discomfort
• Uncomfortable because can’t walk steady
• Hard to look upon other’s face
• Felt “abnormal”, in the minority
• Felt so good when I stood up straight, the uncomfortable feeling went away
• “liberated”
• Could move more easily

The role of the synagogue ruler:

• Like things orderly
• Like life orderly, follow rules
• Not pleased when Jesus stopped teaching and started healing—made me mad!
• Because then everyone wanted healing, disorderly!
• Didn’t like being called hypocrite, I was just doing my job
• Embarrassed when talking about animals
• Experienced “living Torah” as I realized Jesus was right

The crowd:

• Want to be healed also
• Why did the leader blame us?
• Who am I? If she is a daughter of Abraham…
• Cool!
• Saw Jesus as miracle worker

The questions raised by this passage:

• How to define work on the Sabbath?
• How do we respond to being shamed in public?
• Why characterize the woman’s disability as “being bound by Satan”?
• How do illness and bondage relate?
• Did they do something to be bound—victims of or participants in their binding?
• Why was the leader blaming the crowd and not Jesus?
• Why did the leader think they were coming to be cured?
• Why did Jesus address the woman as daughter of Abraham?
• Did Jesus intend to shame and humiliate?
• Can shame and humiliation lead us to repentance or redemption?
• How many people were there?
• Is physical healing equal to redemption?
• How visible are disabled people to us in our midst?
• How important is the Sabbath?
• Why doesn’t she have a name?
• Why doesn’t she speak?
• What is Jesus’ point?

Our study material was taken from Back to the Well: Women's Encounters With Jesus in the Gospels http://www.amazon.com/Back-Well-Womens-Encounters-Gospels/dp/0664227155
 
Meeting date: September 14, 2010.  Recorded by BL 

Bible Study on Sep 14, 2010 at 7.30pm

We are going to look at A Crippled Woman Healed on the Sabbath in Luke 13:10-17.

Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42)

We started the night with the reading of the passage from Luke 10:38-42, followed by a bibliodrama. We played roles or the narrator, Martha, Mary and Jesus once and then swapped roles. From the drama we performed, we had the following observations and questions:


Observations about Martha:

• Luke ignored the details, ignored the significance of her service

• Was stopped from continuing the conversation

• Jesus was unfair to take sides

• Why was Mary affirmed?

• What were the disciples doing?

• Feel devalued

• In previous story, it was ok for  the good Samaritian  (a male) to be serving.

Observations about Mary:

• Why didn’t I say a word? Why weren’t my words recorded?

• I adore Jesus.

• Outwitted by my sister

• I was the favored child

• My sister was jealous

• Why didn’t I support my sister?

Questions:

• What was the meaning and/or significance of “at the feet”?

• What was Martha actually busy on? Ministry vs. serving food?

• What didn’t Martha speak directly to Mary directly? Political appeal to greater authority?

• Family dynamics, Martha older/bossy

• What was Luke’s agenda?

• Seems to be a contradictory emphasis on hospitality by not affirming Martha; but listening to guests is also hospitality

• Jesus is unfair in this story

• Location unclear—is it literally the kitchen?

We also came up with some possible applications:

• Can relate this to my own life as I sometimes focus on minor things and lose sight of the bigger picture

• Duality should be avoided

• Allow different learning/ministry styles

Our study material was taken from Back to the Well: Women's Encounters With Jesus in the Gospels
http://www.amazon.com/Back-Well-Womens-Encounters-Gospels/dp/0664227155
 
Meeting date: August 17, 2010.  Recorded by BL

Monthly Bible Study Meetings

Our group meets every month at HKWCC (17 UG/F, Lok Tai House, Lok Fu Estate, Wong Tai Sin, KLN., Hong Kong SAR).

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