Not Withered Sunday

9 He went on from there and entered their synagogue. 10 And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. 11 He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. Matthew 12:9-14

There are three things here.

Withered is worthless. It’s about the man. He needed healing.

Jesus changed his life that day.

Would you forget someone who made you whole?

Now, see the Pharisees. Their life work was interpretation of God’s Law.

What did God say? They were experts. They totally misjudged Jesus.

Don’t be a modern Pharisee.

Now let’s fix our eyes on the main character. Jesus.

He is God. He is LORD of the Sabbath.

He loved the man. Jesus desires mercy.

“Stretch out your hand,” He said.

Honestly, our lives are withered.

Look! The Lord of the Sabbath.