God's Personal Love: Compassion Over Legalism

Today’s reflection centers on the deeply personal love and knowledge that God has for each one of us. While last week’s focus was on building a culture of aloha and ohana—love and family—among our community, today the lens narrows to the individual. The story from Luke 13 of the woman bent over for eighteen years reveals Jesus’ heart for the one in need, even in the midst of a crowd and despite opposition from religious leaders. Jesus saw her, knew her suffering, and acted with compassion, disregarding the legalistic boundaries that others tried to enforce. His focus was not on the rules, the system, or the expectations of the crowd, but on the unique pain and dignity of a single person.

This personal attention is not just for the woman in the story, but for each of us. God’s knowledge of us is intimate—He formed us, knows our struggles, our sins, our needs, and still loves us deeply. The scriptures remind us that before we were born, God knew us; He upholds us from birth, forgives our iniquities, heals our diseases, and crowns us with lovingkindness. Even when our failings are obvious before Him, His response is mercy and grace, not condemnation.

The contrast between Mount Sinai and Mount Zion in Hebrews 12 illustrates the difference between a relationship based on fear and law, and one based on grace and love. We are invited to come to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, whose blood speaks of forgiveness and reconciliation. The challenge is to not refuse this voice of love, but to receive it, to let it transform us, and to live out of the assurance that the one who knows us best, loves us most.

Just as a child’s fierce loyalty to a sibling reflects the heart of God, so Jesus’ focus on the individual in need shows us the nature of divine love. We are called to receive this love personally, to let it heal and forgive us, and to share it with others as we go out into the world.

Key Takeaways

• 1. God’s love is deeply personal and attentive. He knows every detail of our lives—our struggles, our pain, our history—and He responds not with distant judgment, but with intimate compassion and care. This is not a generic love, but a love that sees and acts for each one of us individually. [44:21]
• 2. Jesus challenges legalism by prioritizing mercy over rules. In healing the woman on the Sabbath, He demonstrates that the heart of God is not bound by human systems or traditions, but is moved by the suffering of individuals. True faith is measured by compassion, not by rigid adherence to regulations. [45:11]
• 3. The one who knows us best, loves us most. God sees all our faults, our sins, and our brokenness, yet His response is steadfast love and forgiveness. This truth invites us to stop hiding and to trust in His grace, knowing that nothing about us is hidden from Him, and nothing can separate us from His love. [52:15]
• 4. We are invited to move from fear to grace. The contrast between Mount Sinai and Mount Zion shows that our relationship with God is not meant to be one of terror and punishment, but of joyful acceptance and belonging. Through Jesus, we are welcomed into a kingdom that cannot be shaken, where love and mercy are the foundation. [54:48]
• 5. The call is to receive and not refuse the voice of love. God continually speaks to our hearts, offering healing, forgiveness, and relationship. The greatest tragedy is not our weakness or sin, but our refusal to accept His love. Let us open our hearts, receive His grace, and allow it to transform us and those around us. [55:47]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [25:52] - Gathering in Prayer and Community
• [39:53] - Family Expectations and Personal Stories
• [42:23] - Jesus Heals the Bent Woman
• [43:17] - Opposition and Legalism in the Synagogue
• [44:21] - Jesus’ Personal Knowledge and Compassion
• [45:11] - Rebuking Legalism and Rejoicing in Grace
• [46:09] - Modern-Day Healing Testimony
• [48:06] - God’s Intimate Knowledge of Us
• [49:15] - John Wesley’s Personal Encounter
• [50:10] - The One Who Knows Me Best Loves Me Most
• [51:09] - Our Sins Before God and His Mercy
• [52:15] - Bless the Lord, O My Soul
• [53:14] - Sinai vs. Zion: Law and Grace
• [54:48] - Coming to Jesus, the Mediator
• [55:47] - Do Not Refuse the Voice of Love
• [56:28] - Jesus’ Focus on the Individual
• [62:46] - Living and Sharing the Love of Jesus
• [63:58] - Closing Blessing and Benediction
• [66:55] - Farewell and Dismissal

Bible Reading

Luke 13:10-17 (ESV) — > Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 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. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

Psalm 103:1-5 (ESV) — > Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Hebrews 12:18-24 (ESV) — > For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them... But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem... and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Observation Questions

1. In the story from Luke 13, what details does Jesus know about the woman who was bent over? (How long she suffered, her identity, her need, etc.)
2. How did the religious leaders react to Jesus healing on the Sabbath, and what was Jesus’ response to them?
3. According to Psalm 103, what are some of the specific ways God shows His love and care for us?
4. What is the difference between Mount Sinai and Mount Zion as described in Hebrews 12?

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus chose to focus on the individual woman in the crowd, even when it meant going against the expectations and rules of the religious leaders?
2. What does it mean that “the one who knows me best loves me most”? How does this challenge the way we think about God’s knowledge of our faults and sins?
3. The sermon contrasts a relationship with God based on fear (Sinai) and one based on grace (Zion). What are some signs that someone is living out of fear rather than grace?
4. The religious leaders were more concerned with rules than with the woman’s suffering. What does this reveal about the dangers of legalism in our own lives or churches?

Application Questions

1. Jesus saw and cared for the woman’s suffering even when others ignored her. Is there someone in your life right now who needs to be “seen” and cared for? What is one thing you can do for them this week?
2. The sermon said, “The one who knows me best loves me most.” Are there areas of your life you try to hide from God or others because of shame or fear? What would it look like to bring those into the light and trust God’s love?
3. Have you ever felt pressure to follow religious rules or traditions at the expense of showing compassion? How did you respond, and what might you do differently now?
4. The difference between Mount Sinai and Mount Zion is the difference between fear and grace. Are there ways you relate to God more out of fear than out of love? How can you take a step toward living in His grace this week?
5. The sermon challenged us not to “refuse the voice of love.” Is there an area where you sense God inviting you to receive His love or forgiveness, but you’ve been holding back? What is one step you can take to open your heart to Him?
6. Think about the story of the child fiercely protecting his sibling. Is there someone in your family, church, or community who needs you to stand up for them or show them special care? What would that look like in practice?
7. The sermon ended with a call to share God’s personal love with others. Who is one person you can intentionally encourage or remind of God’s love this week? How will you do it?