Is It Lawful on Sabbath?
Our recent Sabbath School lesson had a discussion on a section of Luke 6 regarding the man with the withered hand. It reads:
On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” And after looking around at them all he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. Luke 6:6-11.
I was struck with some aspects of this text that spoke to me in particular. This story is one I have read many times before and certainly familiar with. In the past, I sympathized with the man with the withered hand and felt for Our Lord who had to deal with the hardness of the Pharisees. However, this time I was struck with some new perspectives regarding this story.
The first was the realization that the main point was that the scribes and the Pharisees was trying to “find a reason to accuse him.” It was not focused on the man with the withered hand who I usually empathized with. The story is about Jesus—not the man with the withered hand or the scribes or Pharisees. It should always be about Jesus.
The main question is asked by Jesus, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” I use to think that this question was in reference to the man with the withered hand but it struck me that as this story is about how they were trying to “find a reason to accuse him,” that this question must have been in reference to Jesus. In other words, Jesus was asking the scribes and Pharisees, "is it lawful especially on the Sabbath for you to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy the life of Jesus?"
It was not in reference to their attitude towards the man with the withered hand but it seems that Jesus was asking them if their desire was lawful or good. He was asking them how they could truly keep the Sabbath when Jesus sees in their heart a desire to harm and destroy Him. Was their anger and resentment towards Jesus a good thought to have? Especially, on the Sabbath day when this day is about saving life and doing good, especially towards Jesus.
Again, I use to place myself in the place of the man with the withered hand but I think Jesus was trying to warn us about finding ourselves in the place of the scribes and Pharisees. How often do I judge when I see a young person who is playing ball on the Sabbath? Or when I have ill will towards another church member on the Sabbath day? The way I treat Jesus, is the way I treat others; and how I treat others, is the way I treat Jesus.
“Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me… Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” Matt 25:44-45
If Jesus was at my church, I have to admit that He would ask me the same question that he asked the scribes and Pharisees, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” I hope that I would not respond as they did!