Faithful Friday- Portrait of the Faithful-“The Man with the Withered Hand
by: Debbie Waltz
Last week, we moved our attention from studying the disciples in Jesus’s inner circle to exploring how Jesus’s ministry impacted those around him. Beyond the physical healings in his ministry, he deeply cared about the people’s spiritual condition. He sought to redirect people toward the Lord by proclaiming the gospel at all times and places, accepting that it might cause controversy. In the example from last week, we observed Jesus’ effort to challenge the interpretation of the Bible that linked disability to sin.
The Gospels offer three distinct perspectives on the miracle of the healing of the man with the withered hand (Mark 3:1-6; Matthew 12:9-14; Luke 6:6-10). This miracle considerably raised the stakes in Jesus’ ministry. Why? Not only because the healing takes place on the Sabbath, but it is in front of the Pharisees. They were waiting for Jesus to perform a miracle, hoping to establish grounds for accusation. “Rather than avoiding confrontation, Jesus reframed the debate. He posed a rhetorical question about rescuing livestock from danger on the Sabbath, then emphasized that human dignity surpasses animal welfare” (Logos Study Assistant).
As Mark 3:4 says: Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.” By performing this miracle, Jesus was not only showcasing his power but also proving his authority over the law.. Works of mercy that glorify God through miraculous restoration are not merely permitted on the Sabbath—they are praiseworthy.
What intrigued me was what it would feel like for my hand to be healed. Because of my cerebral palsy, both of my hands are folded in and I cannot use them. You might say I have withered hands. I wonder if the man Jesus healed had cerebral palsy and like me, his hand was withered back like mine. It made me wonder what it would feel like if my hands were to unwrap and straightened out and I had the feeling in them that will allow me to reach out and pick something up, or touch someone, or hold someone’s hand. I would certainly be grateful for his healing and want to use my “new hands” wherever I could and share The Good News with everyone. I would invest my time in new activities using my hands to do activities I couldn’t have done before.
“Chosen” excels at providing potential backstories for these events. Even though these are just hypothetical situations, they serve as a reminder that these individuals are real people, and in heaven, they will have genuine stories to share.