Kindness for the controller

𝙅𝙤𝙝𝙣 11:21 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙖 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙅𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙨, “𝙇𝙤𝙧𝙙, 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚, 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙙.”

The would/could/should haves – part of our entitled commentary to God about our take on life after events happen. While it’s perfectly understandable and good to review things that went wrong in order to prevent them from going (as) wrong next time, it’s presumption to read God the riot act. We simply don’t have the equipment or certainly the authority to instruct the Lord of our lives as to how things SHOULD have gone.

For Martha, this was completely in character. Though she followed this statement with “But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” (v 22), that was a self-perceived consolation to the sovereign will of Martha. This was the person who bossed her family around – taking umbrage that her sister Mary would not help her do her frantic, frenetic (and never ending) preparation, cleaning and (re)ordering of things for the guests. No, said Jesus, you can be like that, but Mary will certainly be allowed to sit and listen regardless.

It’s miraculous Jesus did up upbraid Martha – cut her down to size and knock her off her high horse. But he did not. As always, Jesus knew what was in a person, and Martha was hurting inside. We have no history regarding her past, but the need for control and intolerance of things not going according to plan is well understood even in our own lives. Martha had just lost her brother. Among the spectrum of things going wrong, that would be a biggie. Her pain in watching a loved one get sick and die is a well-known human experience. One of the earliest expressions of grief is anger – which blames. There’s little question that Martha had seen loss, along with personal criticism and shame. She felt things deeply.

It would seem a suitable emotional reaction to put Martha in her place, to let her know how selfish her manipulative control really was. But Jesus didn’t do that and it’s remarkable. Instead, Jesus grieved with her and then showed real sovereignty – that of Almighty God – and raised her brother Lazarus from the dead. That’s how God moves in the lives of the bossy, controlling, bullying people – shows them goodness in the dearest way.

It is so easy to sting back the people who dig and weasel and push and scratch their way into ordering your life according to THEIR program. Jesus shows what they need. Hardly acquiescence to their insistent wranglings but kindness in spite of them and in response to them. As usual, Jesus turns the world upside down and heals it. He’s glorious.

Cry of the beggar

Mark 10:48-49 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.”

Bartimaeus was a blind beggar.  His trade was dictated by his physical state; there was no program to help the poor and afflicted in Roman-occupied first century Israel.  As part of the beggar-underclass of people, he was very used to raising his voice for alms and any mercy that he could get to come his way.

There’s also little doubt that Bart knew about Jesus – one who didn’t just give alms but who healed blindness itself.  If that could happen, his entire life would change radically.  He could be a productive person.  It’s hard to consider all the possibilities and plans he had imagined for his entire life that could transpire if he could only see.

But when he raised his voice, calling on the “Son of David” – a well-known name for Messiah, that those around him thought he was only begging as usual.  They told him to be silent, thinking perhaps that common beggars had no business involving Jesus.  Begging was not his intent, though, and their chiding and squelching his voice had the net effect of keeping him blind and poor.  Their pushing him out of the way was oppressive and cruel.

Jesus stopped and would ask him what he wanted.  Bart could’ve asked for great riches, to have his calluses healed or anything else.  He asked to see.  And see he did.

Do I

1. Assert myself when I have a real need only Jesus can meet?  Bartimaeus gave voice to the yearning of his heart and would not be silenced.  Do I do that, or slink back into a beggarly life of want?  Can the voices of others, perhaps bothered by my very presence, shout me down and scoff me underfoot?  Hear the (perhaps annoying) cry of the poor man, O my soul!  Do not be silenced!
2. Find my myself among the annoyed, insisting the loud beggar cease his/her rantings?  For sure there is dysfunctional entitlement.  But there is also a need to be heard and listened to.  Do I listen?  Do I pause to hear the stories of the poor one?  Or do I instead call his/her voice a distracting bother, with no substance behind the noise that fills my ears?  O my soul, learn to listen, for the stories you’ll hear will inform all mercy and wisdom.

So be it.

Mountains and faith

𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝟭𝟳:𝟭𝟵‭-‬𝟮𝟬 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱, “𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁?” 𝗛𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, “𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆, 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻, ‘𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲,’ 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂.”

After some protestation, Jesus had cast a demon out of a man’s son. The disciples had tried and failed, and Jesus’ words disparaging their generation were clearly aimed at them, not the man nor his son. Jesus’ emotions showed disappointment at the spiritual development of his followers.

The disciples then asked of Jesus why they had failed. His answer was that they lacked faith. It wouldn’t have taken much, for a mustard seed is very tiny, but faith is a necessary ingredient in any action taken or prayer against evil, suffering or concerning the affairs of human beings. The basic fact is that going through the motions, using human will and/or activity or posture is vain in having God accomplish the miraculous or even the beneficial.

The metrics of humans have muddied this fact horribly. Retroactively, religious people have become critics of the unaccomplished miracle or unanswered prayer. It was never a given that all prayer or laying on of hands would instantly result in God’s move. Indeed, sometimes prayer is a long, long journey. And sometimes prayer is answered in the negative. Though we can spur one another to deeper faith, only Jesus can judge the heart.

Everyone in this story eventually died. One was resurrected.

So, taking the biblical definition of faith:

𝗛𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝟭𝟭:𝟭-𝟮 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗲.

I can ask myself how sure I are of what I hope for, how certain am I of what I do not see? That provides a clear measure of the faith I/we bring to a request of God. It’s not just a case of God doing things regardless of what I can sense, I often sense the exact opposite of what I ask God to do.

Fundamentally, I can call on God’s goodness, power and pure purposes with confidence over all else. May I pray like that; may we all.

The deliverance of canine Canaanites

Matthew 15:26-27 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

Did the Lord God of the universe really call a woman who was coming to Him for help a dog?

Context is everything in the stories of Jesus.  In this one, a Canaanite woman persisted in asking Jesus to release her daughter from demonic possession.  The disciples tried to push her away.  Then Jesus explained himself, that he was sent to Israel and nowhere else.  Then he said the words above.

Jesus’ priority to redeem Israel was foretold for centuries before his arrival.  That focus was not confusing.  And though faith in Jesus would spread around the world – as it still is – it started very locally.  In that regard, then, a person from outside Israel could be a distraction.  It is interesting that Samaritans were not outside his ministerial range, and historically that aligns with their origin as part of the 12 tribes of Jacob.  But Gentile Canaanites? No.

The inclusion of foreigners in Israel was a merciful part of Mosaic Law.  The people were to welcome immigrants:

Leviticus 19:33-34 “‘When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him.  The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

Yet, intermarrying was forbidden:

Deuteronomy 7:3-4 You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly.

So, which is it?  It seems contradictory.  But it’s not.  The difference is decided by the attitude and posture of the foreigner.  Clearly, if someone from outside Israel came into the country to turn God’s people away from their God, that person was an enemy.  If not, that person was a friend.

So, the Canaanite woman came from an unspiritual, foreign culture, one that had no interest in the God of Israel or much that was spiritual at all.  Calling them “dogs” was not uncommon, for if people from that group came to the people of God, it was for personal gain and not as any act of covenant or even relationship.  They were outside and wanted to stay that way.

Jesus, who “knew what was in a man” (John 2:25), called the woman’s people (and NOT her – though by inference it was her) “dogs”.  He was not calling her non-human nor excluding her from grace.  He was testing her loyalties and affinities.  And she was not offended, but embraced the title, and said she was happy to receive whatever blessing she could.  Jesus commended her faith and delivered her daughter from Satan.

Do I cling, in pride, to my cultural identity?  Am I offended if the Lord calls us what we are?  Are we dogs?  If we, people in the larger society, pursue life as canines, we surely are.  Do I have the humility to ask for the crumbs that fall from the table of God? 

I want to assume the role of undeserving servant; it is a fact and my calling in Christ.   I bring no heritage or birthright to God.  I am only saved by grace.  And I will receive whatever God has for me with gratitude.

Note – by no means is calling some people “dogs” acceptable in today’s world. It carries with it a subhuman association, which enables groups to practice discrimination and even commit genocide. In context it was common and understood (even the woman accepted it), but things are very different now.

So may I never take this as license to disqualify someone on the basis of ethnicity or tribal origin. The gospel is for everyone and there is no distinction.

Matthew 8:9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

Being under authority provides a flow of power and blessing.  Of course, it can also perpetuate a flow of hideous destruction.  It is the top-down course of permission and command that empowers the individual.

The Centurion was saying that he knew Jesus received his power to do the miraculous from God on high, just as he received his own power to act militarily from the hierarchy of Roman command above him.  Jesus was astounded by his understanding and faith and showered the human saying with praises heard nowhere else in the gospels.

Among Jesus followers, there is a tendency to either shirk or overplay human hierarchy.  After all, Jesus was only “under” God, right?  And there is another tendency to force submission and thus, proudly build ecclesiastical reporting structures that serve to build denominations or movements.  There is no question that hierarchy was in place in the early church, but there were no denominations and splinter groups were on their own.  So, we see human authority both abandoned and over-emphasized.  And while there is apparent freedom in refusing to submit, there is equal pride in being lone believers or leaders.  Pride will crimp the flow of God’s power, as it is pointedly opposed (see James 4:6).

In the story, power was needed for healing.  It was not power for power’s sake or just for show.

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

The dynamic, timely flow of power from hierarchical structure heals and delivers.  This does not negate relationship – indeed, the motive of love is ever present in the exchange.  The need to be “plugged in” to a corporate “tree” – even in Christ – is intrinsic. 

So let me heed and continue to be one “under authority”, in the right heart and the right place that I might avail the power of God in time of need.

Natural lawlessness

𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝟲:𝟭𝟵-𝟮𝟭 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝘄 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, “𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗜; 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗱.” 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Enroute to Capernaum, the disciples set out in a boat across the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was not with them. He followed on foot, and on water, towards the same destination. The sight of a human form defying the laws of nature – in particular the human body being more dense than water – terrified them. Jesus identified himself and they took him aboard. The boat was then translated to (or gained such speed that it instantly arrived at) its destination.

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line and Jesus walked that line. The fact that it crossed water was inconsequential to the Son of Man. There is no evidence that he didn’t regularly walk on water.

The terror in seeing such a thing showed how used to the normal reign of the laws of nature people had become. Doubtless they had known people who drowned in those waters that were firmly under Jesus’ feet. There was and is some resolute comfort in the limitations of those laws. Bodies sink, gravity pulls, the dead stay dead. If/when God broke the rules – and there is no reason given here other than Jesus’ desire to go to Capernaum – it violated that comfort. Since the Savior could stroll on the waves, what other expectations would be breached? Indeed, many.

Have I walked so long in natural law “normalcy” that I cease to ask for God’s intervention? Do I limit my prayer by those laws? I mean for salvations and healings and deliverances and restorations and edifications.

Jesus nonchalantly walking on water was visible proof to his disciples of WHO HE WAS. He wasn’t showing off; he was doing what the Son of God freely does. And, it was part of their salvation testimony as we read it in multiple gospels.

No, I will not attempt a sea water power walk. Only Peter tried it among the disciples and he needed rescuing (see Matthew 14:30). Bending nature’s ordinances is God stuff. Believing God can and will do it is disciple stuff. Undivided, resolute faith is a requirement (per Matthew 21:21), but the invitation to possess and exercise such faith is wide open. It’s not for show but according to God’s purposes to save, heal and restore.

May I (and may we) believe and see natural lawlessness, that the name of Jesus be lifted high!

Come and see

John 1:46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

Nazareth, in the region of Galilee, was far from Jerusalem, the center and capital of Israel. As a remote place, its insignificance was perhaps its most defining trait. But when Nathanael asked if anything “good” could come from there, it was a moral question. Like most nations, regional pride emphasizes the local good and the non-local bad, using whatever measures are available. We certainly have no record of conspicuous Galilean evil – the words and acts of Mary the mother of Jesus show there was certainly deep devotion to God in practice.

Philip’s reply is short but the best one to be offered to scoffers and skeptics. It echoes the Psalmist’s invitation:

Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good

as indeed Nathanael would. Jesus immediately displayed miraculous knowledge of Nathanael’s life before they met, at which Nathanael named Jesus as Messiah (see verse 49).

It is not up to any believer to prove who Jesus is; because the move of the Holy Spirit on anyone’s life is God-breathed and spiritually discerned. Humanity craves reasoned understanding and banks on its scientific proofs, which are hit-or-miss at best. Reasoning would have dismissed investigating this Jesus because he was, after all, from Nazareth. And, concerning the person of Jesus Christ, one can only be invited with a “Come and see”. The rest is up to that person to both come and see.

In Nathanael’s case, coming to Jesus involved some travel. Jesus did not come to him. For others, Jesus would indeed show up on scene and on point. But truly coming to Jesus requires “being there” – actually showing up with operational senses and a willingness to perceive what Jesus will say and do.

Seeing is not only a use of one’s eyes, but of one’s spirit. When prayer or worship receives a its replies, whatever the response, identifying that there really is a loving God who hears and answers is vital to spiritual perception. Relatively speaking, Nathanael saw the physical Jesus Christ and was immediately shown a miraculous sign. Later, and unto this very day, the miraculous still occurs, but there is almost always no audible voice. Many will explain God’s interactions with people as coincidence or wishful thinking. At some frequency those arguments become too thin to carry weight, and people who’ve refused to “come and see” don’t want others to do that either.

To be sure, the erosion of faith invariably has ever-decreasing “come and see” activity and perception. The invitation, then, is ongoing and vital. Something good – VERY good- has come from Nazareth.

“Your faith has made you well”

𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝟭𝟬:𝟱𝟭-𝟱𝟮 “𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂?” 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝗺, “𝗥𝗮𝗯𝗯𝗶, 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁.” 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝗺, “𝗚𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘆; 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹.” 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆.

The blind man, whose cries the crowd tried to squelch, nonetheless came before Jesus. Now it was obvious he was blind, but wanted him to say he wanted to see. It’s not that anyone – including Jesus- expected the man to want an extra tunic, say. Our requests for healing and deliverance and all other things must proceed from our mouths. It’s part of the healing process and makes us confront any self-deprecating and destructive ideas of deserving our maladies and expecting no more from life than our limitations all the while seeing God’s restoration available.

Also, there is faith in Christ – His person and goodwill and abilities – that God uses to heal us. The blind man’s faith made him well.

For 2000+ years, believers have wrangled, accused and proudly asserted formulas and theories and negating condemnations as to why healings don’t happen. We know that they also did not always happen among the disciples at Jesus time, and yes, overwhelmingly often Jesus pointed to the absence of faith. Yet Jesus also helped a desperate father in his unbelief and excommunicated NONE of those of little faith. The message there is that faith grows.

Faith in Jesus encompasses much more than healing. Indeed, faith in Jesus takes healing off the pedestal of proof of any human achievement or possession. It mightily proves God’s intentions for health and human well-being, acting as a spectacular pointer to the person of Jesus.

I am to never stop contending for healing; never surrender the brokenness of this world as the final word or state. Salvation has worked its wonders in my life as it will do so in the lives of all who enter in. Healed wounds without and within are its signature marks; let me take a true and historical inventory of them all as I have seen and experienced. And I will see very vividly that my faith has made me well. I was blind and now I see.

Being “on the way”

Mark 8:24-25 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

This provides a proof text arguing against those who proudly proclaim they have so much faith that they only pray for something once. Their argument is that any more than once would prove their lack of faith. Wrong.

For the recipient, a “trees, walking” state is certainly better than blindness. But also, it’s not the end of God’s work in that person’s life. If healing or spiritual growth or repentance or development of a gift takes time, own it and call it normal. Assess where you are, and persist in seeking the Lord. God’s Kingdom on earth operates through imperfect, “on the way” people and you, as one of those, are vital in the Body of Christ.

Obedience to love

𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝟭𝟮:𝟵-𝟭𝟬 𝗛𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺, “𝗜𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘄𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗯𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗵?”— 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗺.

Certainly there was no precept or tenet or detailed instruction in the Law of Moses against healing. The Pharisees waiting to accuse Jesus probably knew that, but held to later, additive teaching of Jewish scholars leading up to their day. To be fair, the trauma of the exile to Babylon had created a hyper-legalistic fervor in their religion thought to keep it from happening again.

Their reason to forbid Jesus to heal also had a much lower motivation- jealousy. God the Son was empowered to heal diseases and deliver the people from demonic oppression, among other things. It’s apparent that some of the Jewish religious leaders had indeed been gifted in deliverance (see Matthew 12:27) but certainly not with the effectiveness of Jesus, of whom it was said healed everyone.

Spectacular miracles like Jesus performed attracted people and with a fervor not present in traditional religious gathering. The healing hand of God was revealed, undeniable expressions of His goodwill. The contradiction to the fear-based religion touted by the religious leaders made them fear for their jobs, their community standing and for the nation of Israel – as they knew it – itself.

As Jesus vividly displayed immediately after this barbed question showed that yes, it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. Or any other day. Doing the good that God calls people to do is more important that a dictated time of rest. Sabbath itself was always a celebration and delight in a good, loving God. Rest is required in life, but rest in God is deeper and more satisfying.

Let me guard my heart from jealousy. I certainly have no business vaunting myself or my views above God’s move. Nor is it helpful (or, to be stark – obedient) to let others impose limitations on God’s work in and through me. There is rest and there is love to be spread.