Healing a Withered Hand
The Pharisees were always trying to trick Jesus into doing something wrong so they could destroy Him. Jesus entered the synagogue and there was a man there with a withered hand. They wanted to see if Jesus would heal this man on the Sabbath. Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to them “I ask you, is it lawful to do well or good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?” Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus gave up His life on this earth for us. We can surely give Him one day a week in praise, love and adoration.
Matthew 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11
Our lesson today begins with Jesus entering into the synagogue. The Pharisees were always trying to trick Jesus into doing something wrong so they could destroy Him.
There was a man who entered who had a withered hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus is it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. The reason they did this was so they might accuse Jesus before a judge.
Jesus asked them what man shall be among them that had only one sheep and if it fell into a pit on the Sabbath day would not pull the sheep out?
How much more is the worth of a man than a sheep? The question should be is it lawful to do well or good on the Sabbath.
Jesus told the man with the withered hand to stretch forth his hand. When the man stretched it forth Jesus restored it whole.
The Pharisees went out and held council with the Herodians against Jesus so they might destroy Him.
The Herodians were a political Jewish party the name of a royal family that prospered in the times of Jesus and His apostles. They were rulers in the general policy of the government and in the social customs which were introduced from Rome.
What Can Be Learned From This Lesson?
Before Jesus went back into the synagogue He had a discussion with the Pharisees who wanted to know what was lawful to do on the Sabbath. Jesus informed them that “the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.”
Jesus Christ is the Son of man and is the Lord of our lives. What He tells us is the ultimate truth. What is more important following the laws of man or following the instruction of the Lord?
Does it really matter on which day we worship the LORD? When man makes an absolute then puts sanctions on those absolutes that is when the Word of God gets all mixed up.
The importance is not the withered hand but the fact that Jesus healed someone on the Sabbath. Jesus defied the law of man and healed on the Sabbath. He did good and healed a man showing the love and compassion that Jesus has for mankind.
Because Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath then the Sabbath can be whatever day we declare it to be. We need to keep one day Holy to the LORD. A day when we put Him first in our lives, we think about Him and pray to Him and give Him our adoration and love. He gave up His life on this earth for us. We can surely give Him one day a week in praise, love and adoration.
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Healing a Withered Hand:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Jan 2015.< https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2041,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, January) “Healing a Withered Hand:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2041,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “Healing a Withered Hand:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (January), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2041, (accessed).
