1 And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” 4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.
Devotional
Chronologically this passage immediately follows Jesus’ declaration of His Lordship of the Sabbath (Matt.12:8-9). Hence what unfolds here is a continuation of the ever widening gap theologically between the Lord Jesus Christ and the Pharisees. Jesus then is not laying the groundwork for a peaceful reconciliation of their differences. This growing rift between them then is not a mere matter of a single doctrine to be debated to resolution, but fundamentally to whom Christ’s Person is and the extent of His Authority. Jesus then enters the synagogue on the Sabbath and there was a man there who had a withered hand; so the Pharisees watched Him closely, “…whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.” Vs. 2
In Matthew the Pharisees are the ones who initiate this incident, by asking Jesus whether or not it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath that they might accuse Him (Matt. 12:10). While Mark records their watching Jesus closely to see if He would. And with that Jesus tells the man to step forward, addresses the Pharisees directly, and asks them: …“Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent.” Vs. 4 Jesus’ question then hits at the heart of the Pharisee’s purposes as well as His own. The Pharisees were using the Sabbath as a day to plot evil, to ultimately try to bring about Christ’s destruction. Jesus on the other hand was using the day to do good. Jesus was seeking to relieve a man of his affliction, which is fully in accord with the Sabbath’s purpose of bringing rest. For that is Jesus Christ’s essential purpose in coming into the world, this synagogue, or even your own heart, is not to bring you into judgment with God as the Pharisees were seeking to do to Jesus; it's to bring you into everlasting life (John 3:16-17; 5:24). As the prophet Malachi says of Him, that He brings healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2). Healing for everyone through the gospel. As Jesus demonstrates here by healing this man’s hand. For that is Jesus’ very purpose for which He came forth from God, to bring salvation for everyone without partiality, of both Jews and Gentiles who believe in Him and confess Him as Lord. There seems then no more appropriate place and day to do that on, then in a synagogue, on the Jewish Sabbath. Therefore with their silence, the Scripture says “And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.” Vs. 5 That the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians after Jesus healed the man reveals their deep spiritual hardness of heart as they go out from His Presence with a desire to destroy Jesus, rather than turn to Him and be healed themselves. Now that they would turn to the Herodians to hatch their plot indicates both the the intensity of their hatred, but also the cunningness by which they would seek to achieve it. Since both the Pharisees and Herodians were fundamentally opposed to each other’s core beliefs. The Pharisees were orthodox and rejected all manner of Gentile life and rule, while the Herodians were sympathetic towards both Roman governance and Greek customs, and often sided with the Sadducees (who were similarly pro Greek) in opposing the Pharisees. Yet when it came to Jesus, like all who reject Him, they found common ground. The Pharisees then held a share of the religious power over the Jews along with the Sadducees, but it was the Herodians who held the greatest access to Roman power. Power to condemn a man to death. Something the Pharisees did not have under Roman law. Later this evil alliance will conspire together in a religious/political plot to try to entrap Jesus on the issue of the lawfulness of Jews paying taxes to Caesar (Matt. 22:15-22). Therefore when Jesus' heals a life and or restores a soul back to a right relationship with God; not everyone will believe or delight in His gracious works (Matt. 10:24-26). Nonetheless as the redeemed of God, the ransomed back from sin and death by Jesus Christ's death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, we can confidently live a life of faith. Rejoicing in God, being steadfast in hope, as we grow up into Christ likeness by putting to death our old sinful ways of doing things and embrace God's new ways of living life abundantly and in the liberty which He has purchased for us through the death of His Son (John 10:9-18). Therefore as He reveals these things to us in the Scriptures, especially the N.T. Scriptures which show us God's purposes and fulfillment of all that was previously written. Let us give thanks always knowing that in Jesus Christ the Lord we not only have forgiveness of all our sins when we believe in Him, but also everlasting life.
Scripture Quotations:
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
Bible Reference Works Consulted
Nelson's New Bible Dictionary; Article on the Herodians
Devotional
Chronologically this passage immediately follows Jesus’ declaration of His Lordship of the Sabbath (Matt.12:8-9). Hence what unfolds here is a continuation of the ever widening gap theologically between the Lord Jesus Christ and the Pharisees. Jesus then is not laying the groundwork for a peaceful reconciliation of their differences. This growing rift between them then is not a mere matter of a single doctrine to be debated to resolution, but fundamentally to whom Christ’s Person is and the extent of His Authority. Jesus then enters the synagogue on the Sabbath and there was a man there who had a withered hand; so the Pharisees watched Him closely, “…whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.” Vs. 2
In Matthew the Pharisees are the ones who initiate this incident, by asking Jesus whether or not it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath that they might accuse Him (Matt. 12:10). While Mark records their watching Jesus closely to see if He would. And with that Jesus tells the man to step forward, addresses the Pharisees directly, and asks them: …“Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent.” Vs. 4 Jesus’ question then hits at the heart of the Pharisee’s purposes as well as His own. The Pharisees were using the Sabbath as a day to plot evil, to ultimately try to bring about Christ’s destruction. Jesus on the other hand was using the day to do good. Jesus was seeking to relieve a man of his affliction, which is fully in accord with the Sabbath’s purpose of bringing rest. For that is Jesus Christ’s essential purpose in coming into the world, this synagogue, or even your own heart, is not to bring you into judgment with God as the Pharisees were seeking to do to Jesus; it's to bring you into everlasting life (John 3:16-17; 5:24). As the prophet Malachi says of Him, that He brings healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2). Healing for everyone through the gospel. As Jesus demonstrates here by healing this man’s hand. For that is Jesus’ very purpose for which He came forth from God, to bring salvation for everyone without partiality, of both Jews and Gentiles who believe in Him and confess Him as Lord. There seems then no more appropriate place and day to do that on, then in a synagogue, on the Jewish Sabbath. Therefore with their silence, the Scripture says “And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.” Vs. 5 That the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians after Jesus healed the man reveals their deep spiritual hardness of heart as they go out from His Presence with a desire to destroy Jesus, rather than turn to Him and be healed themselves. Now that they would turn to the Herodians to hatch their plot indicates both the the intensity of their hatred, but also the cunningness by which they would seek to achieve it. Since both the Pharisees and Herodians were fundamentally opposed to each other’s core beliefs. The Pharisees were orthodox and rejected all manner of Gentile life and rule, while the Herodians were sympathetic towards both Roman governance and Greek customs, and often sided with the Sadducees (who were similarly pro Greek) in opposing the Pharisees. Yet when it came to Jesus, like all who reject Him, they found common ground. The Pharisees then held a share of the religious power over the Jews along with the Sadducees, but it was the Herodians who held the greatest access to Roman power. Power to condemn a man to death. Something the Pharisees did not have under Roman law. Later this evil alliance will conspire together in a religious/political plot to try to entrap Jesus on the issue of the lawfulness of Jews paying taxes to Caesar (Matt. 22:15-22). Therefore when Jesus' heals a life and or restores a soul back to a right relationship with God; not everyone will believe or delight in His gracious works (Matt. 10:24-26). Nonetheless as the redeemed of God, the ransomed back from sin and death by Jesus Christ's death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, we can confidently live a life of faith. Rejoicing in God, being steadfast in hope, as we grow up into Christ likeness by putting to death our old sinful ways of doing things and embrace God's new ways of living life abundantly and in the liberty which He has purchased for us through the death of His Son (John 10:9-18). Therefore as He reveals these things to us in the Scriptures, especially the N.T. Scriptures which show us God's purposes and fulfillment of all that was previously written. Let us give thanks always knowing that in Jesus Christ the Lord we not only have forgiveness of all our sins when we believe in Him, but also everlasting life.
Scripture Quotations:
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
Bible Reference Works Consulted
Nelson's New Bible Dictionary; Article on the Herodians
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