November 2: REARRANGEMENT
And when [Jesus] had looked around at them all, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. Luke 6:10-11
Even though it is not stated here, the thrill in the heart of that man with the withered hand can be detected by “reading between the lines.” It is impossible to overstate the significance that, in simply coming to worship on the Sabbath, he met Jesus! The next simple act of obedience to the Savior’s words “Stretch out your hand” were indicative of his openness to the possibility of healing. Amid the glaring, threatening looks of the religious leaders present (v.7), stretching out his hand required an element of boldness.
The miracle of the Lord in this incidence was ‘technically’ a rearrangement of the molecules of the man’s hand—a restoration of the intended order from a state of disarray. But understand that Satan, the instigator of disarray, did not like this one bit, as clearly reflected in the faces of the scribes and Pharisees who were looking on with rage. They considered this an unholy act!
Mark includes a detail that Luke did not: Jesus was grieved at the hardness of their hearts (Mark 3:5). The word translated grieved is a love word that denotes separation. It is a word of sorrow and pain that filled the heart of the Creator, even as He sent the flood in Noah’s day (see Genesis 6:6). This hardness of hearts brings division, separation, and divorce. In the context of unfaithfulness to God, the word for divorce translated from Greek is apostasy.
Yet, though grieved by some, Jesus continued in His mission of restoration for this one who understood his need of restoration. Believer, there will be times when your mission, as an extension of God’s mission, will bring on attacks from the instigator of disarray. But remember that the extent of each such attack is limited by God (see Job 1:12 & 2:6).
The miracle healing of the withered hand was preceded by its owner’s willingness to obey a simple command. And all before the glaring eyes of those who exalted their own thinking above the One who came to seek and to save the lost. The joy of the man whose withered hand had been healed was more than matched by the joy of the Savior in perceiving the man’s trust and seeing his obedience. Although we are not specifically told how he spent the rest of his earthly life, we have reason to hope that he lived out his days unto the Lord. Do likewise. Obedience may stretch you, but you will find true and lasting joy in being an instrument in the Savior’s hand!
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. Ecclesiastes 9:10
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. Colossians 3:23