In my previous post, we saw how Jesus, the Son of Man, declared himself to Lord of the Sabbath. The story that follows in Luke, also occurs on a Sabbath, and on that Sabbath, Jesus shows himself to be Lord of the Sabbath. This story is in Luke 6:6-11, the healing of the man with the withered hand.
Jesus has come to the synagogue to teach and there is a man there with a withered hand. The Pharisees apparently are waiting and watching to see if Jesus will heal this man on the Sabbath. The word used is παρετηροῦντο (paretayrounto), which means to ‘watch closely.’ It sounds like they were looking for any opportunity to accuse Jesus of something.
It was considered a violation of the Sabbath to do any medical work except in cases where a life was in danger, a baby was being born or a circumcision was being done. (Bock, 528) Since this man's life was not endangered, to the Pharisees, he could wait a day to be healed. Their reasoning makes very little sense, and Jesus is about to expose their thinking for what it is.
Jesus knows what they are thinking, so not does heal the man quietly, he brings man right out into the middle of everyone and heals him. Jesus is not being subtle here. They are looking for a reason to accuse, and Jesus with his healing and use of plain common sense, shuts them down completely.
Jesus asks them what is lawful, ἔξεστιν (exestin)on the Sabbath. He asks which one is unlawful on the Sabbath, doing good or evil, saving a life, or destroying one. Common sense says that doing good and saving life are acceptable on the Sabbath. To heal this man may not have saved his life, but certainly it was doing good and not evil to this man. Bock says that Jesus is saying “Why delay the healing, when I can do it right now?” The answer is so clear that the Pharisees face a dilemma. (Bock, 530)
The Pharisees would rather that this man continue in this condition, rather than be healed on the Sabbath. Does that make any sense to you? Would it really please God to make this man wait? Jesus heals him.
The Pharisees want to accuse Jesus of working on the Sabbath. How much work does Jesus actually do to heal this man? He speaks one sentence, “Stretch out your hand,” and the man is healed. How could this possibly be classified as work? Which of the 39 classifications of work (according to the Mishnah) has Jesus actually violated here? Jesus has effectiviely dealt with their objection before they actually make it.
Darrell Bock suggests that Jesus’ successful healing in the synagogue, on the Sabbath, represents an endorsement from God the Father. (Bock, 531) Jesus publicly displays his power and authority on the Sabbath and leaves it to his opponents to respond. And they do respond. Ἀνοίας - This is the word use to describe the anger that fills the Pharisees after Jesus heals the man with the withered hand. In EGG for Luke, Thompson explains the word like this: 'mindless rage’, and “without understanding.” “such an extreme anger as to suggest an incapacity to use one’s mind.” (Thompson, 99) In my own translation, have translated this as “the Pharisees completely lost their minds with rage.” They can’t charge Jesus with work on the Sabbath, since he merely spoke to the man. He has defeated them both logically, in words, and physically, in actions. They are completely confounded by Jesus, again. So, in their anger, the Pharisees begin discussion of what they can do about Jesus.
The Pharisees are completely overmatched by Jesus, who is in complete control of the whole situation. Unfortunately for the Pharisees, they have become so wedded to the old wineskins, that they are unable to see that Jesus and his new wineskin is a much better, much more compassionate way. Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, is The Way.
Tom
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