Skip to main content

67. Healing a Man’s Hand on the Sabbath


Matthew 12:9-14, Luke 6:6-11 & Mark 3:1-6
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”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

211. The Sons of Thunder's Request

Matthew 20:20-28 , Mark 10:35-45 , Key verse: "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." Mark 10:43B-44 In our readings for yesterday, in which Jesus outlined what was about to happen to Him, for His disciples, the passage in Luke ends: "The disciples did not understand any of this. It's meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what He was talking about." ( Luke 18:34 ) Now, we see just how truly clueless they were. Jesus had laid out a plan before them of pain and suffering and death and now James and John are focused on a promotion. The disconnect is so obvious. It's really not important to know whether James and john came up with this request on their own or if their mother put them up to it. The request was made and James and John thought that they could handle the responsibility that would come with it. What is that saying, "Fools rush in where angels fe...
Post a Comment
Read more

These Boots are Made for Walking

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-15 These Boots are Made for Walking. Of course, I picked that title because it has a reference to popular culture, and it connects with our text today about “feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” I was tempted to play the video of that song, but it’s really not amenable to worship. If you remember that old song, it was quite confrontational. The singer had a righteous complaint against a boyfriend or spouse who was cheating on her. She’s not going to put up with that, and the song goes on to say, “One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you!” And that “take a stand” bravado made her a hero! It was a #1 hit in 1966. I mention it because it has one interesting parallel and one major contrast with the message of grace and forgiveness. That parallel is this. God has a righteous complaint against the entire human race for cheating Him out of the loving relationship He desires with us. As the God who created us, he h...
Post a Comment
Read more

186. Ten Healed, Or One?

Luke 17:11-19 Key Verse: Then He said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." Luke 17:19 At last, Jesus has left the crowd behind and again is continuing His journey toward Jerusalem. His path takes Him and His disciples along the border of Judea and Samaria, between the pure Jews, and the hated half breeds of the day. On His way, Jesus encounters an interesting group of people. We only learn the nationality of one of them and, though we don't know the nationality of the others, because Jesus sends them to the priests in Jerusalem we can probably assume that at least some of them are Jews. Isn't it interesting that through leprosy, a disease that causes much suffering, the dividing wall of hatred has come down for the sake of companionship? We encountered one leper earlier on our Journey. Lepers were the dreaded untouchables of the day. Their disease cut them off from all they loved. It was a very lonely life. No wonder these people had ...
Post a Comment
Read more