The story of Jesus healing a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath is a powerful account found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It is a narrative that reveals Jesus’ compassion and authority, while also confronting the legalism and hardness of heart among the religious leaders of His time. This lesson encourages us to reflect on the true meaning of the Sabbath, the importance of compassion over ritual, and how we are called to respond to human need, regardless of the day or circumstances. Scripture(s) in this Episode: Matthew 12: 9-14 (KJV) And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. Mark 3: 1-6 (KJV) And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. Luke 6: 6-11 (KJV) And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus. Key Takeaways: Compassion over Legalism The True Meaning of the Sabbath Spiritual Blindness Jesus’ Authority Call to Action V4V: This podcast operates under the Value 4 Value model. We hope that we are providing value through the work we are doing, and that you would then, in turn, provide value back to us. This can come in three forms: time, talent, or treasure. To learn more about the Value 4 Value model and how we apply it to this show, head over to our website and read up on it at https://bible-bytes.com/v4v. Prayer Requests: Head to our website and fill out the contact form to make a prayer request or send it to us in a boostag