Is It Lawful to Heal on the Sabbath Days? - Matthew 12:10

Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus left where he was and, “went into their synagogue:”, and in chapter twelve and verse ten of his book, Matthew shared how Jesus was asked, “it is lawful to heal on the sabbath days?” where we read:

And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying,

Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.

The verse reads, “And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, ...” Matthew began with the words, “and, behold” which means “and look and see”, “there was a man” which means “there was a male human being” “which had his hand withered” which means “whose hand was shrunken, wasted and deprived of it's natural juices”. “And they asked him” or “the leaders within the synagogue questioned Jesus” “saying” which means “uttering, proclaiming and declaring”. Matthew shared how Jesus entered the “synagogue” and saw a man whose hand was useless, limp and shrunken in size. The leaders within the “synagogue” began to question Him.

The verse goes on to say, “... Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.” Matthew continued with the words, “is it lawful” which means “is it right according to God's written rules” “to heal” or “to cure and restore health” “on the sabbath days” which refers to “the seventh day of each week which was a sacred festival on which the Israelites were required to abstain from all work”? “that they” or “so the leaders within the synagogue” “might accuse him” which means “may make an accusation or judicial objection against Jesus”. Matthew shared how this question from the leaders in the “synagogue” was not only suggestive, but also held the motive of gaining an advantage of accusation over Jesus.

When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we see how these leaders within the “synagogue” were devious in their ways. Though a man sat before them who had a physical malady, a withered hand, the leaders were attempting to use the man to catch Jesus in some sort of violation of God's law. God loves people, and His desire is to have a relationship with every person who will “believe and trust in” His Son Jesus. Jesus came to demonstrate the awesome power of His Heavenly Father, and though people like these leaders attempted to throw Him off tract from His mission, He came to “seek and to save that which was lost”.

Next time Matthew shares how Jesus asks the Pharisees a question concerning if they, “have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.