Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 479

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,
but you received a spirit of adoption,
through which we cry, "Abba, Father!"


Today's gospel illustrates the truth of Saint Paul's teaching, the children of God do not fall back into fear but receive a spirit which cries, "Abba Father!"
Jesus declared to the woman, "You are set free of your infirmity!" She heard the word of God and believed it and immediately stood up straight and praised God! 
But the spirit of slavery was present in the room, in the person of "the leader of the synagogue." Angrily he shouted at the congregation, ""There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day."
With calculation and purpose he used the gathering of people as a kind of concave mirror to focus his anger on the woman and to shame her back into her humiliating posture. Hearing his anger the confused congregation might have blamed her for bringing such a rebuke on themselves. She should be bent over, able to see only the dirt. 
Of course, the leader was really angry at Jesus but he lacked the courage to attack the Savior directly. He must use the woman and the congregation. 
That's when Jesus stepped forward and confronted him and his ilk, "You hypocrites!" 
The spirit of adoption is not bent over double, staring at the ground. It stands up as the woman in the story stood up, to glorify God. 
I meet many Veterans in the hospital who glorify God but I am especially edified by the ones who are sorely afflicted with their illnesses and glorify God anyway. They might say, "We accept good things from the Lord and should we not accept the bad as well?" 
They demonstrate that spirit of adoption which has been set free from their personal preferences. They are not slaves of their desires but keep their eyes fixed on Jesus. He is our endless delight in every circumstance.