Day 14– What Jesus taught – Healing

“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘺𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘨𝘶𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴, “𝘋𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘸 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘣𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘩?” (𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮.)” 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘸 12:9-10 𝘕𝘓𝘛

In their continuous plot to trap Jesus, the Pharisees asked Jesus, “Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?” Jesus was in their territory, as the Word says that He went to 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 synagogue. Jesus notices a man with a deformed hand. Not at the side of the road, but in their synagogue. He was most likely part of the synagogue community, and the Pharisees would have known of him, if not knowing him personally. It was their duty to minister to him, but in this instance, they used his condition as a humiliating prop to ensnare Jesus.

This man was likely very poor because his withered hand would have made it difficult for him to find work or earn a living. He also probably endured a measure of social rejection because it was a common belief in those days that the reason a person was handicapped was because of some sin that they had committed against God, and that their disability was God’s punishment against them.

The Pharisees correctly understood that Jesus’ bold claims about the Son of Man being Lord of the Sabbath were about Himself, and if He did not heal the man’s withered hand, then it would prove that Jesus was a blasphemous imposter. But if Jesus did heal the man, then He would violate the Pharisees‘ rules in their own synagogue in front of all the people. This would be a socially bold thing to do, because they could immediately condemn Jesus as a lawbreaker (and therefore a blaspheming imposter) in front of everyone.

Knowing their plans, Jesus healed the man’s hand. In this miracle, Jesus accomplished three things. First, He showed compassion for this man. Second, through this display of power, Jesus proved that He was who He claimed to be. Jesus is “Lord of the Sabbath.” The third accomplishment of this miracle was that Jesus exposed the hollowness and backwardness of the Pharisees‘ teachings. Jesus had undermined their power over the people. Humiliated and embittered by Jesus’s truth and love, they went out and conspired against Him.

Our health and well-being are important to God, even on the Sabbath. Jesus proved that God’s love for us outweighs the religious rules implemented by man and highlighted compassion and neighbourly love.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for showing us that Your love for us is more important than rules and regulations. Thank You for the example that You showed of loving others, and that love is a fundamental key for the Sabbath. Amen.