THE WITHERED ARE HEALED

Lk.6:6-10 – On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught; and a man was there whose right hand was withered. Now the scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find a 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 whether it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do harm, to save a life or to destroy it?” And after looking around at them all, He said to him, “Stretch out your hand!” And he did so; and his hand was restored.

Several weeks ago I strained something in my back which resulted in numbness in my right arm and a significant loss of strength in my right hand and arm. I can’t say my arm or hand was withered like the man in this gospel story but the situation was troubling to me. As anyone who knows me is well aware of I love to play golf. I was taught to play at a very young age by my dad and golf has been a source of rest and recovery for me for most all of my life. That’s why this somewhat minor injury got my attention, the loss of strength in my arm really effected my ability to play and enjoy golf, this may sound insignificant to you but it was a big deal for me. Thankfully my injury healed and my arm strength gradually returned along with my golf game.

Now where am I going with this story? This man with the withered hand speaks to all of us about how our performance and enjoyment of life can be greatly hindered if we have been wounded in our emotional life or in our physical life. Just as a physical injury can effect our performance, so can being wounded emotionally. The solution for both types of injuries is one and the same, it is the power of God that flows out from Jesus that makes us well. So maybe your ability to work, rest, or to enjoy your life has been hindered by something that has happened to you. We don’t have to settle and live our lives in a weakened condition. Just like this man did, take a step toward Jesus and present whatever is broken to the Lord, the power of God will strengthen you and make you whole.