Luke 6:8
But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.
Jesus knew the thoughts of the scribes and Pharisees who were watching to see whether He would heal on the Sabbath so they might accuse Him. In answer He called the man whose right hand was withered to rise and stand openly in the midst before them all, and the man arose and stood forth. The public healing was a good and merciful work to relieve the afflicted and save life, posing the test whether it is lawful on the Sabbath to do good and save life rather than to do evil and destroy it. It belongs to the controversy in which the scribes and Pharisees accused Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, of breaking the Sabbath for going through the cornfield and for this healing. The act sweeps away senseless restrictions and false teaching about the Sabbath while leaving the fourth commandment standing as God gave it, exalting and honoring the day by mercy and upholding its binding claims as the institution He Himself had given.
Sabbath Confrontation and Healing
The verse belongs to the Sabbath controversy in which Jesus went through the cornfield, plucking ears of corn, and healed the man with the withered hand. It belongs to the account in which the scribes and Pharisees accused Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, of breaking the Sabbath.
Jesus knew the thoughts of the scribes and Pharisees who were watching Him on the Sabbath to see whether He would heal so that they might accuse Him. In answer He deliberately called the man whose right hand was withered to rise up and stand forth openly in the midst before them all, and the man arose and stood forth.
The healing was a good and merciful work to relieve the afflicted and save life. Making it public posed the test whether it is lawful on the Sabbath to do good and save life rather than to do evil and destroy it, making the healing a public exposure of their unreasonableness. The Pharisees, scribes, doctors, and other Jewish religious leaders were furious, enraged, filled with anger and malice, and greatly hostile because they regarded this good work as wrong and improper on the Lord's day.
An examination of that healing work would have exposed the weakness and unreasonableness of accusing Him of Sabbath-breaking. If the Pharisees could have proved Him guilty of Sabbath-breaking they would not have needed false witnesses to testify against Him. After the Sabbath miracle stirred great malice, Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the seaside of Galilee for a more favorable field of labor. News of the miracle was noised abroad through all that region, and great multitudes followed Him there.
True Sabbath Keeping Taught
The call to stand forth corrects false teaching about the Sabbath by establishing that deeds of mercy are lawful on that day. The healing breaks down Jewish custom while leaving the fourth commandment standing as God gave it to the world. It exalts the Sabbath by sweeping away the senseless restrictions that encumbered it and honors the day by mercy, whereas complaining against the healing and keeping useless rites and ceremonies dishonors the Sabbath.
The command upholds the binding claims of the Sabbath as the institution He Himself had given and keeps it according to the law of God. It exposes that Sabbath observance had been perverted to reflect the character of selfish and arbitrary men rather than the character of God. In that command Christ sets aside the false teaching by which those claiming to know God misrepresented Him, and He goes straight forward in true Sabbathkeeping without even appearing to conform to rabbinical requirements despite their merciless hostility. Sabbath healing was His regular practice and pattern for His followers, for every Sabbath He spoke words to comfort the sick and healed their disease and never grew weary in that work, and His healing work on the Sabbath was extensive and widespread, beyond computation, with the world as His practice. The Sabbath healing gives warrant for fasting and prayer on the Sabbath in behalf of afflicted and dying ones, trusting the God of heaven to uphold them and raise them up, with the promise that when hearts are humbled before God He will come in and work abundantly.