Eld Chew Chong Kiat

Introduction
In this account, the Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:5), our Lord Jesus Christ, taught us about the Sabbath in opposition to the vain traditions of the Pharisees, who, being zealous for the letter of the law, failed to keep its spirit and intent.

We may learn several lessons from this account.

1.   The blindness of fallen men.

The religious leaders who knew the Scriptures best and who taught the people the sacred things of God were so blinded by their hatred of Christ that they had no mercy on a man with a withered right hand — a hand as dead as a shrivelled, dried flower: deformed and without strength. Before them stood Jesus, who had the power to heal; instead of pleading with Him to show mercy, they sought an opportunity to accuse Him of healing on the Sabbath. And when Christ healed the man, instead of praising God and repenting of their sins before Christ, they were so enraged that they took counsel together to destroy Him! How blind were these to the grace of God, who were supposed to be most spiritual! A holy day (the Sabbath) and a holy place (the synagogue) did them no good. Hatred blinded them; no display of the power of God could make them see. Those who think that miracles of healing will necessarily bring conversion should think again. Let us beware of prejudice and hatred, and pray that God will remove from us a hardened heart (Mark 3:5b) and spiritual blindness. It is a fearful thing to have. May God give us tender, teachable hearts to receive the instruction of the Word of God. Boast not of how much or how long ago we have learnt the truth if we do not now believe with our whole heart the same things we claim had saved us. Has your heart turned cold towards the Word of God because of hatred or other unrepented sins?

2.   It is lawful to do good and works of mercy on the Sabbath.

The Pharisees wrongly interpreted the Sabbath as forbidding all work, including acts of mercy. Our Lord argued for the lawfulness of works of mercy on the Sabbath by reminding the Pharisees that any man would lift a sheep out of a pit on the Sabbath rather than allow it to suffer and die. In unmistakable terms, he asked, "How much more valuable is a man than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days." (Matthew 12:11–12). He demonstrated this by healing a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath. We must cease from ordinary work during the six days and set aside time to draw near to God in worship. We may show kindness to those in need — the sick, the distressed and the like. We may visit, render help, preach the good news and bring words of comfort from God. We may do works of mercy and yet keep the Sabbath holy. Christ said that these were lawful, but they should also be expedient and edifying (1 Cor 6:12; 10:23). Let us not abuse this liberty and pretend to act from "necessity and mercy" when in reality we seek our own gratification. As a guide, we are taught not to follow our own ways, seek our own pleasures or speak our own words, but to call the Sabbath a delight and to delight in the LORD (Isa 58:13–14). Let us not neglect the Sabbath to our spiritual hurt. Even works of necessity and mercy that the Lord of the Sabbath permitted are best done on other days if they can be. Do not make such acts the norm. God knows our hearts and all things.

3.   Faith and obedience.

Jesus called the man to stand before all; he stood and did so without regard to exposing himself to greater public scrutiny. Faith in Christ must have been his reason. He would have heard of the great wonders Christ had done, and the sight of Christ gave him hope. When our Lord commanded, "Stretch forth thy hand", it might have seemed unreasonable and impossible. But God never commands what He does not enable. It is the same voice that spoke forth at creation, and it carries the power to accomplish it. Such was the response of faith. When the man obeyed, he found in himself the power to stretch out his hand, and it was restored to be like the other (Luke 6:10). When we obey, we are blessed. Let no reader of God’s written words hold back from any promise of God but go forth in faith, and God will prove His own words true: not one jot or tittle will fail. When we are asked to preach to those who are spiritually dead, blind or stubborn-hearted, we must believe that God's Word can quicken the hearers just as the words of Jesus quickened the man's hand. Do not doubt; speak the word, and if God wills, He can quicken the hearers to believe.

Let’s learn from this man to respond in faith, and to speak the Word of God in faith.