June 21, 2016

“…and a woman there had been disabled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was hunched over and could not stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then He laid His hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and began to glorify God. But the synagogue leader was indignant that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. “There are six days for work,” he told the crowd. “So come and be healed on those days and not on the Sabbath.”…Luke 13:11-14

Sixlets are small round candy-coated, chocolate-flavored candy made by Oak Leaf Confections, a SweetWorks company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The chocolate centers are made from a mixture of cocoa and carob, giving them a “malted” taste. One hypothesis for the name’s origin is that the candy, when originally manufactured, was sold as a penny candy with six candy beads to a tube.

Isn’t it fascinating to learn how candies get their names? In this case, the Sixlets were named probably because only six could fit in the original packaging. Possibly it was the precursor for naming the “Six pack of beer” and the “Six pack Abs”. Nevertheless, six was the magic number.

Six was also the magic number for the synagogue leader in the lesson above. He wants to make it clear to all who can hear him, including Jesus that the Sabbath is not to be a day considered for healing. It went against Sabbath rules. Notice the leader is not particularly interested in the fact that Jesus healed a woman – right in front of him. This was not enough to get him to flinch. Would you have stopped and wondered in amazement if someone healed a person right in front of you? I sure would. But not this leader. He is only concerned with following the rules of the synagogue. “There are six days of the week to work – come on those days and be healed.” Does the leader even hear himself? Does he know he is suggesting the supernatural – the amazing work of G-d in his midst should only be done on the days that humans determine? How presumptuous of us to say G-d can only work on certain days. It would be like a pastor saying “G-d is only available on Sundays.”

The message is clear – we cannot try to put G-d in a box and presume we know when and where G-d will work. What we need to do is be prepared to respond with prayer, praise and thanksgiving when G-d does amazing things in our lives.

Pastor Dave