Matthew Chapter 12: Verses 9-13 (NLT Translation)
Then Jesus went over to their synagogue, where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?” (They were hoping he would say yes so they could bring charges against him.)
And he answered, “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.”
Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand and it was restored, just like the other one!
When Jesus walked into the synagogue, He noticed the man with the deformed hand. I wonder how many other times that same man had been ignored by the Pharisees? This time they could see that he had caught Jesus’ attention, and decided to use the man’s situation to catch Jesus out. They were still not interested in the man himself. They asked Jesus a question so that they would be able to accuse Him, but in His answer, Jesus reminded them what was more important, so to complete His answer, He healed the man’s hand.
People can feel left out and even marginalised if they don’t fit in. We can be ignored by others if we don’t follow the crowd. But Jesus sees us in the midst of the crowd, just as He saw that man in the synagogue.
Not everyone will share our Christian beliefs and they might even use our circumstances to try and catch us out. They might even quote parts of the Bible at us. The devil has done that since the beginning of time when the serpent asked Eve, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” (Genesis Chapter 3: verse 1)
In the face of opposition Jesus did what He knew to be right in God’s eyes, which is the most important thing of all. And so should we!
Dear God,
Help me to remember that people, including me, are important to You; that’s why Jesus came. Help me to show compassion and love at every opportunity, and to do what I know to be right in your eyes, no matter what other people think.
I ask these things in Jesus’ Name. Amen.