We continue our series of 3-minute daily meditations on the topic of the supernatural power of Jesus. Here’s another example of Jesus’ miraculous power:
6On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. 7The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. 8But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Get up and stand in front of everyone." So he got up and stood there. 9Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?" 10He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 11But they were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus (Luke 6:6-11).
The Lord Jesus did not adhere to all the made-up rules of the Pharisees regarding the Sabbath. In the synagogue that morning was a man with a withered right hand. The Greek word translated as "withered" describes something that is shriveled or atrophied, like a dried-up plant or fruit. Luke 6:7 tells us that the Pharisees and teachers (scribes) were watching Him closely. I wonder if the Pharisees “encouraged” the man to come that morning, hoping to find grounds to accuse Jesus of healing on the Sabbath? The Lord was displeased with the burdensome rules that made life difficult for His people; they took away the joy of simple living. Christ seized the opportunity to confront and defy His adversaries and compassionately healed the man.
The Lord Jesus did not heal him right away; He asked the man to stand before everyone and then questioned the Pharisees’ beliefs about God. He challenged them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” (v. 9). To Jesus, withholding healing solely because it was the Sabbath was cruel and revealed more evil than good. The Lord was willing to set aside tradition and rules for the sake of mercy and compassion.
The Pharisees cared little for ordinary people, portraying God as law-focused and harsh. Jesus didn’t touch the man but instructed him to stretch out his hand. As he did, the Lord looked around the room, hoping the congregation would find reason and compassion (6:10) before healing the man in full view of everyone. With everyone watching, the man’s hand became completely well. How furious the rulekeepers were! Where was the love and mercy of God within them? You’d think they would be filled with wonder and joy for the man with the withered hand. Instead, the original Greek reveals the Pharisees' fury: “But they were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus” (v. 11). The word furious depicts them as harboring hot-headed, impulsive hostility toward the Lord for healing the man while belittling them at the same time. Doesn't it seem incredible that the Pharisees failed to see their hypocrisy while walking away with murderous thoughts?
As Christians, we must be cautious not to resemble the Pharisees, become too legalistic, and lose sight of what truly matters. The Pharisees were familiar with the Word of God, yet they did not know the God of the Word. They valued the recipe book more than the meal itself. The Bible tells us how to have a living relationship with the God of the Bible. Let’s be careful to seek the heart of the God who wrote the book. Keith Thomas.
These thoughts are from Luke 6:1-11, Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath, found in the series on Luke's Gospel, located in the All Studies box on the Home Page.
YouTube video teachings at: https://www.youtube.com/@keiththomas7/videos
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