1 Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."
4 Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.
5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
I love the way Jesus responds to these accusatory naysayers. Fully aware of the oppositions thoughts and intents in searching for ways to accuse Him, Jesus here openly gives them what their closely looking for – a front and center healing on the Sabbath in view of all. By our Lord’s confronting and overwhelming these religious leaders’ authority, their vengeance against Him soon fanned into a roaring flame.
No healing permitted on the Lord’s Day unless it was a life threatening circumstance – this was the rule of thumb for these picky Pharisees. I suppose they were the determiners of a life threatening circumstance. If the problem could wait a day or so, it should wait a day or so – or so they thought. If Jesus healed the man with the shriveled hand He would certainly be worthy of death in their eyes because He would have violated their Sabbath rules. Never mind that our Lord’s actions promoted this invalids welfare. Never mind that our Lord’s actions were inherently good and virtuous. Jesus’ workings stood in stark contrast to the Pharisees who were consumed with their scheming actions against the Lord – all replete with evil and wrong intent. What they considered breaking the Sabbath law, God considered doing good. They took the commandment in Exodus and added to it – tweaking it to suit their fancy:
14 "'Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people. 15 For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. 16 The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. 17 It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained from work and rested.'" Ex 31:14-17 (NIV)
Never deterred from His mission by the threats of mere man, our Lord commands the infirmed to take his stand in front of everyone. There would be no hiding of the good deed performed – the light would be on the miraculous. The Sabbath was made for restoration and restoration was getting ready to occur at the hands of the Master. The renown will always be His. I am reminded of the words in Jeremiah’s prayer:
20 You performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt and have continued them to this day, both in Israel and among all mankind, and have gained the renown that is still yours. Jer 32:20 (NIV)
Our Lord begins the healing by asking the Pharisees two rhetorical questions leaving them speechless - "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" Deeply distressed over their hardened and stubborn hearts, Jesus heals.
26 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 27 "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" Jer 32:26-27 (NIV)
Jesus came refreshing the weary and satisfying the faint. He came to do the people good but sadly for these Pharisees they would have none of it. It is a great grief indeed for our Lord to see sinners bent on their own destruction and ruin. Like our Master, we must never deny ourselves the satisfaction of serving God and doing good though offense may be wrongly and unjustly taken by our actions. Building high places in their hearts with their pompous prides, sacrificing their sons and daughters by teaching them their abdominal ways, these Pharisee now begin to plot slaying the Savior. The wickedness found in a fleshly heart can never be overstated.
9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." Jer 17:9-10 (NIV)
“Pride not only withdraws the heart from God, but lifts it up against God.” Thomas Manton