True Faith and Worship Displayed in Action
(Luke 13:10–17 & Amos 8:1–14)
In Luke 13 we see Jesus teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath, where He notices a woman who had been bent over and unable to stand upright for eighteen long years. Without hesitation, Jesus calls her forward, declares her free, and places His hands on her. Immediately she is healed, and her first response is to glorify God. This powerful moment shows us that Jesus sees what others overlook, that He cares deeply for those bound by burdens, and that true worship is revealed in setting people free and pointing them to God.
Yet while the crowd rejoiced, the synagogue leader responded with anger, upset that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. His concern for rules and appearances blinded him to the miracle of God’s compassion happening right before his eyes. Jesus exposed this hypocrisy by reminding them that even animals were cared for on the Sabbath—how much more should a suffering daughter of Abraham be loosed from bondage? This story challenges us to move beyond empty tradition and to embrace faith that acts with mercy, compassion, and love.
Amos 8 paints a stark contrast. God shows the prophet a vision of summer fruit—ripe, ready, and at its end—symbolizing that Israel’s time was up. The people had grown corrupt, trampling the poor, cheating in business, and turning holy days into opportunities for greed. Their worship was outward, but their hearts were far from God. Because they rejected His ways, God declared that a famine would come—not of bread or water, but of hearing His Word. The greatest tragedy would be that people would search for truth and not find it, because they had ignored it for too long.
Together, these passages remind us that true faith and worship are not measured by outward appearances, rules, or rituals. They are measured by the actions of our lives—how we pray, how we serve, how we give, how we treat others. Real worship is revealed in compassion for the broken, justice for the oppressed, and honesty in our daily dealings. God calls us to remove the masks of tradition, selfishness, and complacency, and to live in such a way that our faith is displayed through our actions.
This is both a warning and an encouragement. A warning that empty religion leads to judgment, but also an encouragement that true worship brings freedom, joy, and life in Christ. Jesus shows us that He is the one who sets us free, who restores our dignity, and who calls us to live transformed lives. The challenge for us is to make sure our worship is not just words on Sunday, but action lived out every day.

Challenge Statement
Do not settle for empty words or outward religion—let your faith be proven in action. Tear off the masks, lay down the excuses, and live in such a way that your worship is seen in justice, compassion, service, and love, so the world may know that Christ has set you free.