Read Mt 12.9-14, Mk 3.1-6, Lk 6.6-11
On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and was teaching; and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find reason to accuse Him.
(Luke 6:6-7)
The religious leaders were watching Jesus to see if He would violate the “Traditions of the Elders” by healing on the Sabbath. Jesus calls them out by healing a man with a withered hand.
Generally speaking it is not smart to walk into an ambush on purpose. Unless of course, you have the fire power you need to take such a risk. The religious leaders were looking for solid evidence that Jesus was doing something wrong on the Sabbath. But their standards of right and wrong were based on a faulty premise. Instead of a correct interpretation the Word of God, the religious leaders went to their traditions. There’s an old saying, “Never bring a knife to a gun fight.” The religious leaders had no grounds for their accusations because their traditions carried no authority. Nowhere in the Law does it prohibit healing on the Sabbath (or doing any essential good deed for that matter) and Jesus knew it. The Word of God reigns supreme over all other writings or thought. To top it off, their poor judgment on the application of the Sabbath laws (Ex. 20: 8-11; 23:12-17; Deut. 5:12-15) prevented them from doing what God would naturally applaud. Their religious rules prevented them from loving people and that ticks God off! (Mk 3.5)
This event underscores the need for a Disciplemaker to draw his authority from the Word of God first before any other source (2 Tim 2.15; 3.16-17, 2 Pet 1.20-21). The man or woman who disciples another by primarily using sources other than the Bible is in grave danger. All truth is God’s truth but let’s make sure it’s truth. The Word of God is truth (Jn 17.17). I often see people studying books about the Bible more than the Bible itself. The Disciplemaker must be saturated in the Word. The only way to make disciples of Jesus is to know who He is. The way to know Him is to read the Gospels and the rest of the scripture through the lens of Jesus. Secondary sources are good but never trump the Word of God. FJ67
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