Luke 6: 1-11
King James Version (KJV)
6 And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.
2 And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is
not lawful to do on the sabbath days?
3 And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what
David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;
4 How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the
shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to
eat but for the priests alone?
5 And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the
sabbath.
6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the
synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on
the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.
8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the
withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood
forth.
9 Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on
the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?
10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another
what they might do to Jesus.
An opportunity arises to be a game changer. Do you take it? Or, let the moment pass you by? Jesus sets the ultimate example in this lesson. As the patient and teaching leader He is, Jesus begins to level set with his followers, and help them get a full understanding of the Word of God. It comes along with a personal challenge…Can you step up to really make a difference when you have the skill and ability to do so?
It’s ever so easy to talk the talk. But, when you’re going against a
status quo and challenging commonplace, things begin to feel a little less
comfortable for us. Jesus, the walking Word of God, knew what the “law” was on
the Sabbath. But, because He didn’t flaunt His High Priestly knowledge in a
boastful way, the Scribes and the Pharisees felt as if they were in a position
to teach the Teacher.
Side note: Why do people who
don’t like you seem to follow you around, picking at you, and waiting to see
how they will make you fall [Luke 6:7]? Watch the people who are around you. Be
sure that they aren’t there to capitalize on your faults, to redistribute the
words that you share in confidence, and for those who are entertained when they
think you have fallen.
The man with the withered hand was definitely in the right place, at
the right time! Researchers believed that this man could have been a plant by
the Scribes and the Pharisees, to trap Jesus. It was believed that if a person
was born with a disability, that God must have cursed them or their family
(read http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/988/1164
for more information).
Side note: The Bible
encourages us to watch AND pray [Mark 13:33]! Not everyone who comes to church
is there to worship! As societal leaders, the Scribes and the Pharisees should
have cared enough about the disabled man to get him to Jesus any day of the
week, so that he could be made whole. Using the disabled man as “bait” proves
that, once again, they reeked of impure motives. Make sure that when you’re at
church, you’re not concerned with seeing who’s there or what will happen.
Church should be the place where you’ll find healing, love, and spiritual
refreshment.
Knowing the thoughts of the religious leaders, Jesus did it up big! He
asked the man with the withered hand to stand up and step out in the midst of
everyone. So they would know that He was making a specific point, He asked the Scribes
and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil?
to save life, or to destroy it?”. Jesus was yet teaching them, despite their
unwillingness to submit to love.
Side note: Not everything is
black or white. These spiritual leaders took the law quite literally. Don’t do
anything on the Sabbath meant just that to them. Jesus, once again, went forth
in fulfilling the law and bringing the depth of understanding with it. If you
have the ability to do something good, to help another being, to make a
difference in your family, church, or community…DO IT! Not doing it is more of
a sin, than doing it.
The man with the withered hand received his breakthrough. He had two
perfectly good hands. Naturally, he was now able to rejoin society and work to support
his family. Now that he no longer had to be ashamed, he could find himself a
wife, and start a family of his own. He would be able to pass down the goodness
of Jesus Christ to his seed and beyond. This would seems like a good place to
praise the Lord, right? Not according to the Scribes and the Pharisees. They
were furious! In the words of the late Mother Barbara Jean Johnson, “Ain’t
nobody mad but the devil!” People who have ill motives, lead very sad and
negative lives. There is no pleasing them. Instead of allowing their traditions
and rank in life triumph over Jesus, He stepped up and said, “I’ll Be a
Gamechanger.”
God has given you the same power. As you live your life, embrace
opportunities to flip the script and allow God’s glory to shine through you…even
if it’s not traditional. When you arrive to your Sabbath, you can stand before
God faultless and blameless knowing that when He asked you to use your several
gifts and abilities to bless His name, you stepped up as a Gamechanger!
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