The Healing Nature of Doing Good Every Day. Lk. 6:6-11

1. On another Sabbath v.1

NOTE: Jesus had a run in with the religious leader a few Sabbaths earlier about

His disciples picking heads of grain rubbing them and eating them on the Sabbath.

Jesus quotes 1 Samuel 21:6 where David asked Ahimelech the Priest of Nob to eat the consecrated bread and it was granted to him and his soldiers.

Jesus’ point is “The Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Referring back to Luke 5:24, Daniel 7:13. The Son of Man is Messiah, Lord, High Priest . . . If the priest could give consecrated bread to David them Messiah can choose to let His Disciple eat on the Sabbath.

This was “another Sabbath” but for Jesus it was just another day to teach the Kingdom, to do good to His creation. He was Lord of Creation, of the Sabbath and had come to redeem and restore it all.

2. Jesus is at the synagogue teaching which was his normal custom. v.6a but He did this all the time on mountains in homes on Monday and on Saturday.

3. A man with his right hand withered is there and the Pharisees and scribes are watching closely to see if He would heal on the sabbath so they might accuse Him. v.6b-7

NOTE: Since the creation account in Genesis 1 and 2 and throughout the Mosaic Covenant in Exodus, Leviticus, Number and Deuteronomy, God’s people had 613 laws to follow. The Pharisees through their teaching known as the (Midrash) added “helps” through sermons and sayings to keep this law. This became to them as more important than even the law itself and became their way to earn salvation by keeping the law. Within the Pharisee’s laws they had around 39 Sabbath “helps”

You couldn’t reap or winnow on the sabbath which is why they questioned the disciples Luke 6:1-5.

Write or erase two letters or extinguish or kindle a fire.

you couldn’t transport an object from private to public domain.

This incident in particular would have been breaking the law because the man’s life was not in danger.

NOTE: Mark 2:27 Jesus said that the sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath. This means the Sabbath was about rest and rest comes in the person of Jesus.

Matthew 11:28–30 NASB95

28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

It’s always lawful to do good and to save a life.

1. Jesus knew what they were thinking and so he said to the man with the withered hand “Get up and come forward.” and he got up and came forward.

NOTE: Just a quick thought about this scene. Last week Jesus commended the faith of the act of lowering this crippled man through a roof to get to Jesus. Here Jesus tells this man to come and he does.

I can only imagine the excitement coursing through the veins of this man as he heard the Savior say to him get up and come. But what was he coming for? No doubt he heard of all the miracles but Jesus was simply teaching on this day He was healing others. His hand was not a life threatening illness. But the man came as if to say I will do whatever You ask of me. What an opportunity to be in the presence of Jesus’ teaching and to hear his voice as the only other voice in the room say get up and come.

2. Jesus teaches what the sabbath is for. “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?”

ILLUST: One Commentator makes this note, “To neglect doing good is to do evil” Obviously it’s never good to do harm or to destroy a life whether its the Sabbath or not. But to do Good takes us all the way back to creation. Creation had lost its good because of Sin and Jesus was here to restore the IMAGE of God in us. To care for and rule over creation the way God does by doing good .

3. After looking around at them all. He said to Him “Stretch out your hand!” and he did so and his hand was restored.” V.10

Couple things to think about.

The very image of God looking into the eyes of the men standing around

Jesus simply said “stretch out your hand.” There was no prayer! There was no pleading to reconstruct the skin or rebuke this handicap.

When the man stretched of his hand the Kindness of God and His compassion on man defined the God who rested and called His people into that Rest.

CLOSE: Hebrews 4