Jeremiah 1:4-10; Luke 13:10-17
Rev. Kenneth M. Locke, Interim Pastor
Orchard Park Presbyterian Church; Carmel, IN
August 24, 2025; Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
When we look in the mirror, who do we see? Do we see a beloved child of God? A devoted servant of God? Do we see someone through whom God can love others? Someone through whom God can do ministry? Is that who we see?
Or do we see someone who is too young, too old? Someone incapable, not learned enough, too anxious or too scared? Is that who we see?
We know who Jeremiah saw, don’t we? Let’s remember Jeremiah is one of the 4 major prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekial and Daniel. His ministry lasts for about 40 years, from 627 to 587 BC. He’s there when Jerusalem finally falls to the Babylonians.
In about 627 BC, God calls Jeremiah to be a prophet. ‘I knew you from your earliest moment,’ God says. In this instance ‘to know’ carries the connotation of both choosing and preparing. God chose Jeremiah and God prepared Jeremiah for ministry.
But when Jeremiah looks in the mirror he sees someone much too young. The Hebrew here means anyone from an infant to a young boy. When Jeremiah looks in the mirror, he doesn’t see someone who is up to the task. “God, I’m not up to the job!”
But God says, ‘Oh yes, you are.’ God sees a beloved child who, with God’s help, can do important ministry.
When we look in the mirror, who do we see?
When we look at someone else, perhaps someone out of place or a little different, who do we see? A problem, a concern, a disruption? A chance to exercise our authority? A threat to the way things are? When we look at someone else, perhaps someone
out of place or a little different, who do we see? A beloved child of God? An opportunity for ministry?
Jesus is in the synagogue on the Sabbath. The sabbath is a day of rest! A day for doing only the bare minimum. No cooking. Don’t carry anything. Only traveling a very short distance. It sounds odd to us but it mattered to them. This was one of the ways they honored God.
Jesus sees a woman who has been horribly malformed for 12 long years. And so, he calls the woman over and says, “Woman, you are set free.” He puts his hand on her and immediately she straightens up and praises God. Not Jesus, notice, but God. She praises God.
The synagogue leader is indignant over this breech of the rules. Interestingly, he does not complain to Jesus. Instead, he passive-aggressively complains to the crowd. “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” Instead of remonstrating against Jesus directly, he turns to the crowd.
Notice, also, how he blames the woman. It’s not her fault. She didn’t come to be healed. She came to worship. The healing was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. She hasn’t done anything wrong, and yet she’s treated as the perpetrator rather than Jesus.
In what Jesus has done, the synagogue leader sees danger.
Rules have been broken; things are out of control. The synagogue leader sees a disruption that must not be allowed to spread.
What does Jesus see? Jesus sees a daughter of Abraham, a child of God who needs healing. Not tomorrow, not next week, not when it’s convenient or more appropriate. She needs healing NOW!
When we see someone who is perhaps out of place or a bit different, who are we really seeing? Indigents asking for change at the Interstate offramp, by the traffic light. Men hanging outside of Lowes or Home Depot early in the morning. Women standing on
streetcorners late at night. Who are we seeing? On one level we know who we’re seeing but who are we really seeing?
Last Monday night, before our session meeting, we heated up some food left over from the Bluegrass service and those elders who hadn’t had a chance to eat earlier were able to grab a bite.
After the meeting, we noticed a young man who seemed to be wandering the halls. I suppose he had stayed behind after one of the AA meetings. One of our elders saw him and went and spoke to him. The elder came back and shared the young man’s name and that he was hungry. There were still plenty of leftovers, so someone prepared him a plate of food.
Someone out of place, a bit different. Who was he? A threat? A danger? A nuisance? A problem to be resolved? A disruption that must be contained? No – a child of God. An opportunity to minister.
When you and I see someone, perhaps someone a little out of place or who doesn’t quite fit in, who do we see? A threat? A violation? An opportunity to minister? God always, always sees a beloved child.
When we look at ourselves in the mirror, who do we see?
Someone too young, too old, too uncertain? A sinner, perhaps?
God always sees a beloved child. God always sees a beloved child who, with God’s help, can do ministry. May we always see what God sees. Amen.
