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nother Sabbath came. Jesus entered the synagogue at Capharnaum and was immediately invited to teach. This was now the pattern wherever he went. The multitude crushed to hear him. The local rabbis naturally resented this, but some welcomed him. Some did not know what to do with him. All extended to him the liberty of preaching and teaching in their synagogues. They would not have dared do otherwise.
On the other hand, the legalists and their teachers did not like this young Carpenter at all. They resented his popular appeal and resented most of all his defiance of religious law. They had come deliberately seeking a reason to accuse him. On this Sabbath, they had persuaded a man whose right hand was shriveled to attend the service just to bait Jesus, just to see if the Carpenter would heal on the Sabbath.
This man did not have to be overmuch encouraged. He had heard of Jesus as much as anyone and would have come anyway, hopefully with the prospect of being healed himself. When the legalists approached him, what did he have to lose? So, encouraged, he placed himself up close to where Jesus was teaching so that he could not be missed. At points when Jesus paused, the man would look at his arm and back at Jesus, holding it up so it could readily be seen — anything, to attract attention to his helpless condition. He sought not the Lord for worship, or to learn, but to have his arm healed and perhaps, to appease the legalists in the bargain.
Jesus of course, was not a fool. He surmised what this man wanted and that he had been put up to this by the legalists. He looked around at them in anger, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts. He would give them what they wanted, and without ambiguity. He said therefore to the man with the shriveled arm, “Get up and stand here in front of everyone.” The man stood and stepped up on the dais. Then looking directly at the legalists, Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” He waited. He looked at each one. Establishing eye contact. There was no response, and then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
The man surprised, responded, “What?”
“Stretch out your hand!” Jesus commanded, loudly and with force, his irritation unsheathed. Jesus held unmitigated contempt for religious law. He seemed to enjoy the public display of such contempt. He did not fear the consequences of his disdain of religious legal strictures. If the Son of God can be said to hate, he hated these strictures. He hated anything that vacated by its very existence the exigencies of human kindness and compassion. Uncertainly, the man raised his hand and as he did, it was completely restored.
The leader of the Pharisees clapped his hands, causing others to do the same. But his applause was a mockery. He was at the same time furious and elated. This witless pretender had fallen like a ripe fig into his hands. They now had obvious reason to retaliate. He had violated the Law of God with a high hand and arrogance. This bumbler’s days were numbered. Immediately he consorted with his colleagues who in turn began to plan. Jesus, disgusted, withdrew from that place.
All of this resulted in even greater popularity for Jesus. Many followed him. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed. He did not hold back. He healed them all. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. The whole of Palestine it seemed, were streaming toward this young man who held such hope, such promise. When those possessed of evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” But he quieted them. And thus was fulfilled what was spoken by Isaiah . . .
“Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight. I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope.”
Jesus withdrew to the lake. People followed him, crowding him. Those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. A solitary boat lay tied to the dock. “Get me into that boat,” he said to Peter. Peter took John and James, Andrew and Matthew and forming a wedge, forced their way onto the dock. Reaching the boat, they maneuvered Jesus into it and cast off. The crowd pressed so that it appeared the dock might collapse. Some fell into the water and waded toward him. Immediately Peter pulled the boat into deeper water. “That is far enough,” said Jesus intending to speak more to the people. He was ignored. In a moment, Peter and the others had raised sail and the boat was gone. Jesus lay back on a coil of rope, exhausted. “They are as sheep . . . “ he said, weakly.
“This is madness,” said Peter just loud enough for John to hear him.
