And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:
After passing through the grainfields Jesus left that place and went into their synagogue, the Pharisees' synagogue. The entry took place on the Sabbath amid dispute over Sabbath observance and immediately precedes the healing of the man with the withered hand. That healing is the direct sequel to the entry, with Jesus correcting false teachings about the Sabbath, showing deeds of mercy to be lawful, and upholding the fourth commandment as God gave it.
A man with a withered hand was present, having come hoping to receive the great blessing of healing. The Pharisees, scribes, teachers, and religious teachers were there watching Jesus with hostile intent, feeling sure He meant to heal him and expecting Him to do so. They determined to confront Him by asking whether it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath day, seeking grounds to accuse Him. Their anger that He did this good work on the Sabbath showed their hostility and their mistaken charge that such healing was wrong.
When confronted, Jesus answered that any of them having one sheep fallen into a pit on the Sabbath would lay hold of it and lift it out, a practice they themselves had followed that very morning. A man is much better than a sheep, so it is lawful to do well, to do good, on the Sabbath day. He then said to the man, Stretch forth thine hand, an order requiring faith. As the man made the effort to move his useless hand, virtue, life-giving power from Christ, gave vitality to nerves and sinews and muscles, and the hand was perfectly restored.
By entering and healing in this way Jesus kept the Sabbath according to God's law and upheld the fourth commandment as God gave it. His act honored the Sabbath and showed deeds of mercy to be lawful on that day, while rejecting human rules, needless restrictions and rites, and false teachings that misrepresented God and dishonored the Sabbath. As the Lord who made the Sabbath, His conduct was in perfect harmony with God's law, so accusations that He broke it could not be established.
The healing provoked such malice that He withdrew with His disciples to the seaside, to a more favorable field of labor, where He continued teaching and healing. Later His accusers avoided bringing a Sabbath-breaking charge, because examination and inquiry would have revealed that He had healed the afflicted, exposing the good He had done and defeating their plan to condemn Him.
After passing through the grainfields Jesus left that place and went into their synagogue, the Pharisees' synagogue. The entry took place on the Sabbath amid dispute over Sabbath observance and immediately precedes the healing of the man with the withered hand. That healing is the direct sequel to the entry, with Jesus correcting false teachings about the Sabbath, showing deeds of mercy to be lawful, and upholding the fourth commandment as God gave it.
A man with a withered hand was present, having come hoping to receive the great blessing of healing. The Pharisees, scribes, teachers, and religious teachers were there watching Jesus with hostile intent, feeling sure He meant to heal him and expecting Him to do so. They determined to confront Him by asking whether it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath day, seeking grounds to accuse Him. Their anger that He did this good work on the Sabbath showed their hostility and their mistaken charge that such healing was wrong.
When confronted, Jesus answered that any of them having one sheep fallen into a pit on the Sabbath would lay hold of it and lift it out, a practice they themselves had followed that very morning. A man is much better than a sheep, so it is lawful to do well, to do good, on the Sabbath day. He then said to the man, Stretch forth thine hand, an order requiring faith. As the man made the effort to move his useless hand, virtue, life-giving power from Christ, gave vitality to nerves and sinews and muscles, and the hand was perfectly restored.
By entering and healing in this way Jesus kept the Sabbath according to God's law and upheld the fourth commandment as God gave it. His act honored the Sabbath and showed deeds of mercy to be lawful on that day, while rejecting human rules, needless restrictions and rites, and false teachings that misrepresented God and dishonored the Sabbath. As the Lord who made the Sabbath, His conduct was in perfect harmony with God's law, so accusations that He broke it could not be established.
The healing provoked such malice that He withdrew with His disciples to the seaside, to a more favorable field of labor, where He continued teaching and healing. Later His accusers avoided bringing a Sabbath-breaking charge, because examination and inquiry would have revealed that He had healed the afflicted, exposing the good He had done and defeating their plan to condemn Him.