Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus Matthew 12:9-14
I wrote the other day about the courage Jesus showed when he invited the hated Zacchaeus to his house for dinner. There were however numerous situations where Jesus stood up to scorn and even persecution for his earthly mission to make clear God’s purpose for living. In the passage above, Jesus had challenged the rigidity of the Law when he chose to heal rather than allow suffering just for the sake of the satisfaction of the letter of the Law.
Jesus subjected himself to scorn and even eventual death in order to fulfill the higher spirit of the Law- to save and to heal. We must interpret scripture in light of the Holy Spirit’s inspiration of the Law. Jesus had said that he came to fulfill the law, not to destroy it. This is a great example of the highest application of the ancient Law that God intends- the safety and healing of people.
Prayer: Lord, help us to follow the Spirit in understanding your Word, Amen
Reflections of a Counselor 