Saturday, August 16, 2025

Today's Scripture
Luke 13:10–17

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.” But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?” When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing. (NRSV)

Reflection

The front door of Fourth Church for me and a number of others was “Jazz at Four.” How remarkably fabulous to bring together jazz, a journey of the soul, into the Fourth Church space of Faith, a journey of the spirit. From that first step across the threshold, I was in, and 15 years later, I’m still joyously here.

Jazz, a uniquely American music genre originating from the African American heritage in New Orleans (my second home), is also claimed by New York and especially Chicago. (Now, you know my three favorite cities). Jazz elevates mood and disposition on sullen days and further excites the senses on soaring days. For some, it is the rhythm of life. But jazz was never supposed to be: it features upbeat syncopation; requires minor chords; thrives on improvisation; is known for non-replicable riffs; and lacks melody — you can’t hum it — but when perfectly orchestrated, it becomes an art form of exquisite intricacy and remarkable depth. It breaks all the rules to create something precious.

Pablo Picasso said, “Learn all the rules like a pro, so you can break some like an artist”. Though this may seem like a tantalizing tease for those of us with a wee bit of OCD to break a rule or two, the deeper thought infers mastery. Only after mastering a discipline, e.g., music composition, including both the intricacies and idiosyncrasies, can one see the seams and seek the opportunities, i.e., jazz.

Did Jesus just become the first jazz musician?

Clearly the rules, the laws of Judaism, were sacrosanct and required strict observance of the Sabbath. Working on the Sabbath was a no-fly zone. A quick search reveals ~600 rules in Judaism, perhaps thousands of rules in Hinduism, and at least “10,” but closer to 1000 rules in Christianity. Anybody know all thousand?

Jesus holds omniscient knowledge — I’m certain he smiled at rules. He was and remains Master, and within that divine space, a suffering soul entered — 18 years of infirmity — and petitioned for help. Jesus set aside process and protocol and leaned into principle. Rules were no more; relieving suffering in the life of a believer took precedence, and both indignation and hypocrisy were reduced to drivel.

But let’s get the message right. Jesus was not about breaking rules as a disruptive rebel but about mastering a doctrine as an artist and then proceeding to improvise with spiritual audacity — healing the sick, embracing the gentile, soothing the mourning, feeding the hungry, welcoming the children, and reaching out to the voices of the disinherited (Howard Thurman). What cripples us today? Jesus is the answer.

Extraordinariness is possible with Faith. Isn’t this at the core of our belief? We believe in the extraordinary, in acts of kindness that supersede laws and miracles that mystify science. Yet, as humans, mastery is elusive and unattainable. But we do have the capacity to know the discipline of Faith, and then improvise our thoughts to embrace the extraordinary.

I doubt that Jesus and a stand-up bass, alluring saxophones, virtuoso pianos, and energizing trap sets go together, but I hope there’s a lot of Faith and a little bit of improvisation in all of us. Certainly, there was improvisation in Jesus; after all, what are miracles if not the ultimate improvisation?

A standing ovation, please… for Jesus.

Prayer

Father, thank you for the presence of Jesus, today, and the gifts of spiritual audacity. Help us believe in the extraordinary, accept the inevitable, and navigate the necessary with you as our balm, our anchor, our guide, and on occasion, our nudge to become artists who improvise a life of helping others, always leading with love and grace. Amen.

Written by Clyde Yancy, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

Devotion index by date | I’d like to receive daily devotions by email