Healed on the Sabbath

This sermon was delivered at Central Congregational Church in Galesburg, IL on the 11th Sunday after Pentecost. A video of Rev. Yowler delivering this sermon follows the text.

I’d like to turn this scripture on it’s head a bit this morning. The way this story is usually preached or told is to focus on the fact that Jesus “broke the rules” by healing someone on the sabbath. Especially, since it wasn’t an “emergency situation” that required tending to on the traditional day of rest.

I want to focus on the woman. This woman, who had been in pain for 18 years, asks for help. I assure you, that after 18 years of pain? This WAS an emergency for the woman. Jesus saw her pain, and instead of telling her to come back another day, he healed her. He ended her suffering. But this healing couldn’t have happened if the woman, ON THE SABBATH, hadn’t come to him and asked for help. She advocated for herself and for her health, and her self-advocacy was rewarded. Yes, even on the sabbath. She was both brave and vulnerable. And that bravery and vulnerability led to her healing. She came to be healed, to be changed, to be whole. And she did that on the sabbath.

This woman suffered from chronic pain. 18 years of chronic pain. Studies have shown that chronic pain can increase blood pressure and heart rate. It can also affect the immune system and increase risk for heart disease. People who suffer from chronic pain can have muscle problems, limited mobility, depression, anger, and anxiety.¹ Living with chronic pain means that sometimes you need help getting dressed, that you can only do “one big thing” a day, or that you can’t sleep well because you’re never quite comfortable at night. It also means that healthcare providers might not take you seriously or that an injury could go untreated for weeks or months because you didn’t realize you were actually injured. On top of that, women’s pain is less likely to be taken seriously than men’s. In fact a woman in pain might wait 50 percent longer to be treated in an emergency situation.² If she IS treated. Women’s pain is often perceived as imagined or exaggerated, and in fact, women are “more likely to be treated less aggressively in their initial encounters with the health-care system until they ‘prove that they are as sick as male patients’”³ And if that woman happens to be a person of color or someone for whom English isn’t a first language? The wait and the struggle could be amplified further.

Now, I don’t have any true concept of what healthcare looked like in Jesus’ day, but my guess is that this woman’s pain was also ignored- that she was also probably written off as crazy or as “deserving” of the pain as some sort of punishment for a perceived sin of some sort. I don’t know for sure. What I do know is that her pain was so bad that she dragged herself out of her home and down to where Jesus was speaking- to be healed, to be changed, to be whole And she did that on the sabbath.

I know how she felt. I have fibromyalgia, and therefore I live with chronic pain. On most days, I live at about a 6 on the traditional 10 point pain scale, but on some days I can’t function at all. I know what it feels like to come home from work and not have the energy left to do anything else that day. I know what it feels like to have an injury but be told “oh, that’s just your fibro” rather than someone ordering an x-ray or an MRI. So I understand how this woman must have felt. And I can certainly imagine what it took for her to flag down Jesus for much needed healing.

Have you heard of SpoonTheory? Spoon theory is a concept coined by Christine Miserandino- and here’s the basic idea. Everyone starts the day with a certain amount of spoons- for argument’s sake, let’s say 12. For a person without chronic pain or illness, getting out of bed in the morning and preparing for the day might take 1 spoon (if it takes any). For someone WITH chronic illness? It might take 2 to get out of bed, another 2 to put on clothes, and another 2 to fix their hair, put on makeup, or brush their teeth. That leaves 6 spoons and they haven’t even made it out the door yet. Working? That costs spoons. Running errands? That costs a few more. It’s possible to get home and not have enough left to prepare dinner, much less eat it. For some folks? Going to bed and getting rest might not replenish their spoons- they may wake up the next day with only 10 instead of 12- but it’s only Tuesday and they have the rest of the week to get through. So sometimes, a person with a chronic illness, doesn’t have “enough spoons” to do something like wash the dishes, take a shower, or even go to church….

I imagine that this is what it was like for the woman in our story. She was in pain and out of spoons and no one would help her. AND it was the sabbath, and the one person who MIGHT be able to help just happened to be in town.

So she found the strength to go see Jesus. And instead of dismissing her or saying, “sorry I can’t help you today, because it’s the Sabbath,” Jesus healed her. On the sabbath. Because there was no excuse for letting her continue to suffer. He knew he could help her, and rather than adhere to the law, he helped her. Sometimes, the needs of others transcend the law.

I think about all of the people who have gotten in trouble for doing things like adding quarters to a parking meter or handing out cold water at the border. The needs of others transcends the law in these moments. I think of cancer patients who have purchased cannabis illegally- their need for relief transcended the law. And yes, I realize this is a slippery slope- that there’s a fine line between need and want, and that laws are laws for a reason.

But religious law? No one would be harmed by Jesus healing on the sabbath. No one’s business would suffer loss. The only harm that could have been caused in this moment would be from ignoring this woman’s cry for help. And Jesus understood that, in the case of the Sabbath, compassion overrides rest.

Let’s return our focus to the woman again. She was in a position where she had to advocate for herself- no one approached Jesus on her behalf, no one sent for Jesus- she found the strength to get out of bed, struggle across town, and approach him directly. She was her own advocate.

Life with chronic pain is like that- you have to learn to be your own advocate. You have to fight to have an MRI because you know that some pain feels different than other pain. You have to remind your doctors that one diagnosis doesn’t cover all of your symptoms and your disease isn’t a scapegoat for anything else that might possibly come up. You have to read- a lot. You have to know which medical and non-medical interventions have been used with success and which ones are a money-grabbing farce. Does this supplement or that one actually work, or is someone trying to take advantage? Has the doctor heard of this latest study on your disease? Will your insurance cover an experimental treatment? Just keeping up with the research can cost you spoons you didn’t have to begin with!

I imagine that this woman, after eighteen years of pain, knew what worked for her and what didn’t. She had likely tried every possible treatment and cure available to her at the time. There are those who argue that what was ailing the woman was her “spirit” or that she was bent over with shame or sin. I think that’s too easy. I think it’s much too easy to try to place the blame on the person who is hurting. And yet? Studies have shown that “our feelings of empathy for others may depend on the extent to which we believe they’re responsible for their suffering.”⁴ Surely this woman had done something to deserve her pain- she had brought it on herself. It’s easy to believe that and then believe that Jesus’ healing her is almost metaphorical- that he removed the burden of her “sin.”

I just can’t think that way. I can’t believe that illness or pain is a punishment. I just don’t think it works that way. I don’t think that folks who suffer from chronic pain deserve it in any way. And I sincerely believe that Jesus helped this woman to overcome her pain. She came to him to be healed, to be changed, to be whole. On the sabbath. And he healed her. He changed her. And he made her whole. On the Sabbath.

I wonder. How many people come to church for that same reason- to be healed, to be changed, to be whole? They struggle through the week, and Sunday- the day they can finally rest and re-set for the week ahead they show up in buildings like this one seeking wholeness and healing. Do they get it? Or do they leave, wondering if they are worthy of healing and help? Are churches helping, or are they adding to the suffering? Sadly, I think the answer is yes- to both questions. Some churches lift folks up and help them. Others send them away hurting- week after week. Some churches use the sabbath as a reason to celebrate, to heal, to help make folks whole again. Others, use the sabbath to remind folks of the rules. And sometimes? The rules are the problem- when we focus on the rules more than we focus on what is truly right or wrong? People suffer.

But Jesus had a thing or two to say about that too- Jesus reminds his followers that the most important law is that of love- Luke 10:27 reminds us that we are to: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" And following THIS law meant that Jesus HAD to heal the woman- loving his neighbor meant loving this woman- and healing her on the sabbath. The law of love transcends all others. Love is the answer here- love is what ultimately healed this woman and released her from 18 years of pain.

Now maybe we aren’t Jesus, but we are Jesus-followers and our love has the power to help others. But, how do you love a neighbor with chronic pain?

Hold your judgements. It’s really easy to judge someone with chronic pain- to assume that they are lazy or because they “seem to be walking just fine” that they don’t need that accessible parking spot. Just because a person doesn’t LOOK sick doesn’t mean they are healthy. Foks with chronic pain get really good at masking their pain, saving their tears for when no-one is watching, or giving all they’ve got at work and coming home and crashing in private. Loving someone with chronic pain means believing the pain is there and holding back judgement.

Unless you are that person’s medical or mental health professional, don’t offer advice. I assure you, someone with chronic pain has heard every possible answer- exercise more, don’t exercise, go gluten free, try keto, try CBD, try this magical supplement that you can only get at xyz store. They have heard it, and hearing it again and again is exhausting. Loving someone with chronic pain means not trying to be their doctor.

Don’t isolate or exclude them because you know they won’t show up. One of the hardest things about suffering from chronic pain is the isolation from friends and family. And what’s worse is that the pain can be unpredictable- so they might initially say yes, but on the day of an activity they don’t have the spoons to participate. When you do invite them out, please assure them that the invitation is non-binding and that you won’t be mad if they have to back out- this will likely make your friend more apt to accept the invitation AND more able to back out if they need to. It’s a double gift! Loving someone with chronic pain means inviting them to things even if you don’t think they will show up.

Be careful with touch! While Jesus’ touch may have been miraculous, yours might not be. In fact, someone who suffers from chronic pain may experience a flare, bruising, nausea, or increased pain just from being touched. It doesn’t take a lot just to ask- “are you huggable today?” and then respecting the answer. Loving someone with chronic pain means asking before touching.

Offer tangible help. Your friend who suffers from chronic pain likely needs help that you can provide. But if you ask “What can I do to help?” they probably won’t have an answer. Some great examples might be:

• I'm making a chicken tomorrow. Can I bring you some?

• I’m going food shopping tomorrow. How about I pick you up some salad fixings, fresh fruit, milk, coffee, tea, and any other staples you need?

• I’m taking my kids to the park tomorrow. I’d love to take your kids along to keep mine company.

• I’m running a bunch of errands this afternoon. I can easily check some items off your to do list while I’m at it. Do you need anything mailed, picked up or dropped off at the cleaners or post office?

• I'm in the mood for some canine company. Can I walk your dog?⁵

You could also say things like “Hey, I miss you. Can I bring a pizza over and we can watch a movie together?” or “I know you feel awful, could I clean your kitchen or toss in a load of laundry for you?” or even- “Let’s have a PJ day. I’ll bring lunch!” Loving someone with chronic pain means offering help in real, tangible ways.

If we go back to the story- to Jesus and the woman in pain, we see that Jesus gave a really good example of how to treat someone. He didn’t judge. He didn’t offer her a magic elixir. He didn’t shame her for her ailment. He welcomed her. He made time for her. He loved her enough to heal her on the sabbath. With his loving compassion, he changed her life. With his love, he showed us how to care for others- to help them heal, to help them be changed, to help them feel whole- EVEN on the sabbath. Let us live by his example.

Amen.

¹“Living With Chronic Pain,” Cleveland Clinic, accessed August 20, 2019, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/11977-chronic-pain-living-with-chronic-pain.

²Laura Kiesel, “Women and Pain: Disparities in Experience and Treatment,” Harvard Health Blog, October 9, 2017, https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/women-and-pain-disparities-in-experience-and-treatment-2017100912562.

³Joe Fassler, “How Doctors Take Women’s Pain Less Seriously,” The Atlantic, October 15, 2015, https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/10/emergency-room-wait-times-sexism/410515/.

⁴“Do Our Brains Think Some People Deserve to Suffer?,” Greater Good, accessed August 22, 2019, https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/research_digest/do_our_brains_think_some_people_deserve_to_suffer.

⁵Margaret Jaworski, “6 Ways to Be a Friend to a Friend Living With Chronic Pain,” Practical Pain Management, accessed August 23, 2019, https://www.practicalpainmanagement.com/patient/treatments/mental-and-emotional-therapy/6-ways-be-friend-friend-living-chronic-pain.