Working On The Sabbath

Luke 6: 6-11

 To Do Good or Evil?

⁶ On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. ⁷ The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. ⁸ But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there.

⁹ Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”

¹⁰ He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. ¹¹ But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Jesus makes the point:  Doing good, saving a life on the Sabbath are not evil actions meant to disregard the Law, but to enhance it by lifting it to a higher level, the level of charity or love of neighbor.  It's not a wanton flaunting of the Law that Jesus advocates, but the enactment of a higher law,   He has no qualms curing the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath, for he is releasing him from a life-long burden and opening the door to a normal life. Is not this better than a slavish addiction to the "letter of the law"?  Let us pray for a clarity of vision and purity of heart that will enable us to do the same.

Bro, Rene