June 2, 2026 · David Farmer
Burdens
“And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.”
Luke 13:11-13 →
## Everyday Burdens
Yesterday we discussed the Sabbath Fussers who would rather not help you on certain days. Today we discuss the woman they wouldn’t help. Sometimes the spiritual world is referred to as the “unseen realm”, but what eyes can’t see shows in a person’s life eventually. This woman was physically bent over weighed down carrying the burden of some spirit, and after eighteen years, she had come to accept it. She had stopped believing life could be better. This was normal life. This was an everyday burden; Sabbath or no Sabbath. I wonder. Had anyone at the synagogue tried to heal her in the past? No matter; it hadn’t worked so far, and she expected nothing different today. In fact, she wasn’t even coming to synagogue to be healed anymore. But it shows her heart that she continues faithfully coming when the doors are open.
## Jesus to the World
But Jesus came seeking to save... Basic New Testament teaches us we are to be Jesus to the world. Seek those out who need Him, and go to them. Recently, a pastor from my long ago past, Pastor Jimmy Harper, died. This man married me to my first wife. I was a nonbeliever then. We got married in the Church to please her grandfather. I didn’t attend church anywhere, but he managed to keep contact with me through the guise of “guitar lessons”. He came to my house once a week for one hour lessons. After we worked on music about 20 minutes, we talked, and our conversations usually turned spiritual. I
enjoyed this as a “seeker” of spiritual truth, and he enjoyed it as a preacher with an evangelist’s heart. He was never preachy, pushy, or sneaky; just persistent and present in my life. Without Christ, I didn’t know what I didn’t know back then. I thought that was life and had come to accept it. But when he saw me, he made an effort to make a solid contact with me.
## Self-Check
Pastor Harper moved on to other churches in his career never really knowing the impact he made on me. He was a friend. He was consistent. There are people all around us carrying everyday burdens thinking that is normal life. God has placed you in contact with them to keep contact with them. You don’t have to know the impact you make. Be a friend. Be consistent. Be Jesus to them. Carry some burden with them.
## The Shame Game