Key Verse: Then Jesus
said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do
evil, to save life or to destroy it?”
Luke 6:9
What does your faith do for you? Does it make you more caring, or critical? Is your worship just a matter of singing
songs, saying a prayer, perhaps listening to a sermon and an offering, or does
it include serving others?
Once again, Jesus provides the religious people with another
opportunity to criticize Him. Each of
the texts mentions that they were “looking for a reason to accuse Him.” What must it have been like to live under
such constant scrutiny? For His critics,
once again, Jesus was working on the Sabbath, however, Jesus, for His part, was
performing an act of worship by setting someone free.
His arm must have been damaged sometime in the past either
by a stroke or work related injury. Without
proper medical care, his arm had probably atrophied and was probably unusable. This would have affected his ability to work
and provide for his family. Luke, the
doctor, makes special mention of the fact that it was his right hand. Since the majority of the population is right
handed, this may have been a particularly difficult situation to deal with. It would have affected his ability to touch. How did he hug his children or cradle them
while they were sleeping? Life was a
burden to him because he could not fully participate due to the condition of
his arm.
So, once again, Jesus confronts the
Pharisees with their reasoning. In our
story yesterday, Jesus had focused on grace, using the story of David as an
example. Today, He brings the point
closer to home by asking them to examine themselves. “He said to them, …If any of you has a sheep
and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift
it out? How much more valuable is a man
than a sheep! Therefore, it’s lawful to
do good on the Sabbath…” (Matthew
12:11-12)
Sadly, for some of these religious leaders, the sheep may
have been more valuable. At least it
could produce wool or food. This man was
damaged, in their view, cursed justly by an act of God. Who was Jesus to interfere with God’s sense
of justice!
“God does not see things as man sees them. Man looks at the outward appearance, but God
looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
This man was precious to Jesus, and valuable.
Jesus knew that He would die for him soon. Why not make his life, on this earth, a
little easier until then.
The fourth commandment actually says, “Remember the Sabbath
Day to keep it Holy.” (Ex.20:8) “Holy,” does
not mean do nothing. The healings that
Jesus performed on the Sabbath were the highest act of Holiness. They were a blessing to the one healed and an
opportunity for all those who witnessed to give glory to God. If anyone was blaspheming, it was those who
chose to criticize rather than join in the praise of what God had done.
So, again I ask you, what does your faith do for you? Does it make you more caring, or critical? We are called to be like Christ. We are called to do good and serve others. If your faith doesn’t call you to this, then,
is it the faith of Christ?
Hymn: “Let Me Be a Servant to You”
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