It's Not Too Late

Scripture(s): Luke 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. But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up and come  forward!" And he got up and came forward. And Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?"
After looking around at them all, He said to him, "Stretch out your hand!" And he did so; and his hand was restored. But they themselves were filled with rage, and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.

Commentary:
Jesus Christ, though he allowed works of necessity on the sabbath day, will notwithstanding have us to know and remember that it is his day, and therefore is to be spent in his service and to his honour (v. 5): The Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. In the kingdom of the Redeemer, the sabbath day is to be turned into a Lord’s day; the property of it is, in some respects, to be altered, and it is to be observed chiefly in honour of the Redeemer, as it had been before in honour of the Creator, Jer. 16:14, 15. In token of this, it shall not only have a new name, the Lord’s day (yet not forgetting the old, for it is a sabbath of rest still) but shall be transferred to a new day, the first day of the week. (Henry, 1996).

II. He justifies himself in doing works of mercy for others on the sabbath day. Observe in this, 1. Christ on the sabbath day entered into the synagogue. Note, It is our duty, as we have opportunity, to sanctify sabbaths in religious assemblies. On the sabbath there ought to be a holy convocation; and our place must not be empty without very good reason. 2. In the synagogue, on the sabbath day, he taught. Giving and receiving instruction from Christ is very proper work for a sabbath day, and for a synagogue. Christ took all opportunities to teach, not only his disciples, but the multitude.

3. Christ’s patient was one of his hearers. A man whose right hand was withered came to learn from Christ. Whether he had any expectation to be healed by him does not appear. But those that would be cured by the grace of Christ must be willing to learn the doctrine of Christ. 4. Among those who were the hearers of Christ’s excellent doctrine, and the eye-witnesses of his glorious miracles, there were some who came with no other design than to pick quarrels with him, v. 7. The scribes and Pharisees would not, as became generous adversaries, give him fair warning that, if he did heal on the sabbath day, they would construe it into a violation of the fourth commandment, which they ought in honour and justice to have done, because it was a case without precedent (none having ever cured as he did), but they basely watched him, as the lion does his prey, whether he would heal on the sabbath day, that they might find an accusation against him, and surprise him with a prosecution (Henry, 1996).

5. Jesus Christ was neither ashamed nor afraid to own the purposes of his grace, in the face of those who, he knew, confronted them, v. 8. He knew their faults, and what they designed, and he bade the man rise, and stand forth, hereby to try the patient’s faith and boldness. 6. He appealed to his adversaries themselves, and to the convictions of natural conscience, whether it was the design of the fourth commandment to restrain men from doing good on the sabbath day, that good which their hand finds to do, which they have an opportunity for, and which cannot so well be put off to another time (Henry, 1996).

 (v. 9): Is it lawful to do good, or evil, on the sabbath days? No wicked men are such absurd and unreasonable men as persecutors are, who study to do evil to men for doing good. 7. He healed the poor man, and restored him to the present use of his right hand, with a word’s speaking, though he knew that his enemies would not only take offence at it, but take advantage against him for it, v. 10. Let not us be drawn off, either from our duty or usefulness, by the oppression we meet with in it. 8. His adversaries were hereby enraged so much the more against him, v. 11. Instead of being convinced by this miracle, as they ought to have been, that he was a teacher come from God,—instead of being brought to be in love with him as a benefactor to mankind,—they were filled with madness, vexed that they could not frighten him from doing good, or hinder the growth of his interest in the affections of the people (Henry, 1996).

They were mad at Christ, mad at the people, mad at themselves. Anger is a short madness, malice is a long one; impotent malice, especially disappointed malice; such was theirs. When they could not prevent his working this miracle, they communed one with another what they might do to Jesus, what other way they might take to run him down. We may well stand amazed at it that the sons of men should be so wicked as to do thus, and that the Son of God should be so patient as to suffer it (Henry, 1996)

Reflection: 
The scribes and the Pharisees were waiting for Jesus to do something good, so that they could say it was something wrong, because he performed a miracle on a holy day of rest. In their eyes, not even good could be done on a traditional day. They were locked into a traditonal mindset, and were not willing or ready to accept change. However, the man with the withered hand was not locked into a traditonal mindset, because he was ready to receive change through the healing of his hand. It did not matter to him what the scribes and the Pharisees had to say. He was ready to accept, and to receive what God had for him. He is an example of being ready and willing to receive, what God has for us. Even though change in the mind is not always an easy journey; trusting in the Lord, is a wonderful place to begin. Whether your heart has been broken, or your soul has been wounded, it's not too late to reach out your hand, and accept what God has for you.

References:

Henry, Matthew. "Commentary on Luke 6." . Blue Letter Bible. 1 Mar 1996. 2010. 31 Mar 2010.

http:// www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?
AuthorID=4&contentID=1647&commInfo=5&topic=Luke&ar=Luk_6_6

Blue Letter Bible. "Gospel of Luke 6 - (NASB - New American Standard Bible)." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 31 Mar 2010. http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Luk&c=6&t=NASB

Higgins, S. (2010). It's Not Too Late. Devotions For Thought. Higgins Publishing. Http://devotionsforthought.blogspot.com, http://www.higginspublishing.com