Bent Over Woman (Luke 13:10-17)

The synagogue leaders shunned me,
Jesus takes the hand of the crippled womandeemed me demented, demon-possessed.
Stooped in body, crushed in spirit.
I hobbled to the synagogue, hidden,
eyes riveted to the ground. 

Then Jesus called me; 
hesitant, I shuffled toward him,
dazed and fearful, unable to lift my head.

Jesus touched me and I felt my body
straighten, my eyes lift to see his face,
joy flooded my soul! I could stand up
after eighteen years of being horizontal 
to the ground, amazing the crowd.

Jesus called me a daughter of Abraham,
making me part of the family of Israel.
He defied Jewish law by speaking to me,
a woman, in public, touching me, curing me        
on the Sabbath. 
He stood up for me and for all those
bent over by injustice, hatred, fear or sickness,
for when one is crushed, all are laid low
and diminished; when one is raised up,
all have dignity and worth.


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