Mk.3:4-6 – Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.
The miracles of Jesus are loaded with multiple levels of revelation. The first message is obvious, this man was handicapped, possibly from a work related injury, and was unable to perform his daily responsibilities. His injury made it difficult to just perform his obligations as a husband and a father. His shocking and total recovery changed all of that. But there is something beyond that in the message of this miracle, we are all this man with the withered hand, without divine intervention we are helpless and weak, unable to accomplish God’s purposes and plans for our lives. Here are some thoughts from the Passion Notes on this miracle.
“This miracle is found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It contains valuable lessons for us today, for the hand symbolizes holding, giving, receiving, doing. It was his right hand (Luke 6:6), which brings the added significance of power (i.e., God’s right hand, Ex. 15:6), pleasure (Ps. 16:11), approval (Heb. 1:13), and righteousness (Ps. 48:10). A crippled right hand points to the lack of all these things. Human beings are helpless before God, crippled in all our works. But the power of Jesus heals our limitations and brokenness. Religion cannot heal us, but Jesus can.”
In order to receive this miracle so that we can be made whole we also have to stretch forth our hand. What does that mean? It means to recognize our helplessness without the Lord and our need for His healing and restorative power to always be at work in our lives. The miracle starts in a place of humility, I am helpless without Him but with His power in me and on me all things become possible. So go ahead, admit that you need His help, stretch out your hand and you will be made whole.
