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Children’s Sermon

Luke 13:10-17

Jesus Heals On The Sabbath

August 21, 2022

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary Year C

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ASK (a.k.a The On-Ramp)

Good morning!
Can you tell me what some of the rules are in your favorite sport?
For example, in soccer, can you use your hands? (Not really – only the goalie can)
Can you take your helmet off when you’re on the field during a football game? (No, helmet should stay on the whole time you’re on the field during a football game)
How about baseball – can a base runner hold the ball while running around the bases? (No…they would be out)
With any sport, can you just go on to the field whenever you feel like it? (No)

TELL (a.k.a. The Freeway)

So all of those rules are important, right?
But when someone gets hurt, then those rules are quickly broken, aren’t they?
When someone is hurt, helmets come off, people who aren’t playing go out on the field, and the ball is held and moved differently than it normally is.
The regular rules, then, are ignored until the hurt person is helped.
And that is because people are more important than the rules of the game.
The same sort of thing happens in today’s scripture story.
There are certain rules that the Israelites were given about their day off for worship, called “Sabbath.”
One of those rules said that they weren’t supposed to work on the Sabbath
But when Jesus saw a woman in the congregation who was hurt, Jesus helped that woman – on the Sabbath.
The leader of the congregation became upset and told Jesus that Jesus had just broken the rules, that Jesus had broken the “no working” rule of Sabbath.

SHARE the Good News (a.k.a. The Destination)

Jesus told the leader of the congregation that healing someone who was hurt was more important than the rules in that moment.
Now, that doesn’t mean the Sabbath rules should always be ignored.
But just like the rules in a sport are paused when someone gets hurt, Jesus showed us the same was true of religious rules, too.
When someone was hurt, the rules needed to be paused. And then, once the person was cared for, then the rules could start up again.
Jesus words and actions are an important reminder that we - each and every one of us – are more important to God than the rules are.
And, when we or someone we know is hurting, God wants us to pause the rules and share God’s healing with those who are hurting.
That is the good news for today. Let’s pray.

CLOSING Prayer

This is a repeat-after-me prayer.

Dear God,

Thank you for Jesus…

…who shows us…

…how you love us…

…more than anything else.

Help us love each other…

…in the exact same way.

Thank you and Amen

Originally posted August 16, 2013
Updated on July 23, 2022
Written and edited by Nathanael Vissia

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