This evening I was studying in the gospels about the Savior's teachings on the Sabbath day observance. His teachings are brought up because the disciples picked some corn from a field and ate it on the Sabbath day. And the Pharisees, being letter of the law and oral law keepers, asked how this could be done on the sabbath day. Christ in Matthew, Mark and Luke shares some insights about what is lawful to do on the Sabbath day. Great counsel! (Matt 12:1-14, Mark 2:23-28 3:1-6, Luke 6:1-5)
Mark 2:27: "And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:" And the Joseph Smith Translation on that adds that "...the Sabbath was given unto man for a day of rest; and also that man should glorify God... For the Son of Man made the Sabbath day, therefore the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath."
As I was pondering and trying to get my head around the significance of why the Sabbath day was made for man, not man for the sabbath-- the idea came that BECAUSE Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath day--for He made it for man, my mind naturally took out "Sabbath" and replaced it with Christ--to read:
Christ was made for man, and not man for Christ. (!!!)What a beautiful, simple, but deep truth. Christ was "given unto man for...rest" and also [given] that man should glorify God. And He truly does that doesn't He?!
We came into being because of the fall, separated spiritually and physically from our Father in Heaven. We needed/NEED a Christ! He was "made" for us. He can give us rest and because of Him we should and CAN glorify God.
On this occasion, the Savior enters into a Synagog and finds a man there with a withered hand. The Pharisees "watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath (Mark 3:2). It was not a question for the Pharisees of whether He could heal or not--it was a question of whether He would (!) on the Sabbath day and thus by healing on the Sabbath day they could "accuse him". What a lesson/example taught by the Pharisees! No doubting here! Although their motives were all wrong, they knew the Savior could heal--there was no question of IF he could.
Christ asks the man with the withered hand to stand. Now I was not that man, but what if that withered hand represents a weakness, a sin, something I am trying to overcome? The Savior asks me to stand--obviously folks are watching, and perhaps this man is not ashamed of his withered hand, but maybe it is something he would like to keep hidden and at least not let everyone focus on. The Savior has a dialect towards the Pharisees after he has asked this man to stand. How long did the man have to stand--center of attention, eyes? But finally the Savior asks him to stretch forth his hand. Was this hard for him to do? Did the withered hand hold a position that stretching it would have been painful? Nevertheless "he stretched it out". [Now his weakness was exposed, no hiding in the shadows, all eyes and attention must have been on him]--- "...and his hand was restored whole"(Mark 3:3,5).
I praise this man, that with a withered hand [weaknesses, struggles, sins] he was where he needed to be on the sabbath day--the synagog! Just think had he decided to not go to the "church" that day?! He would have missed not only being with the Savior but being made "whole"! What courage it took. He was in the right place, where the Lord could bless him. And surely there were hearts and testimonies strengthened/learning that took place, faith built and hope given to others in the synagog who watched the Savior make someone's "withered-ness" WHOLE!! Where any of them (obviously not the Pharisees who shortly after the miracle too up counsel on how they might "destroy [Christ]" ) thinking, "His withered-ness was made whole! Perhaps my withered-ness can be made whole too?...! My eyes that are withered from the things they view in private, or my ears that have withered from the things I listen to/or allowed to be said, my foot that is withered when it comes to service- or my mouth that is withered and will not open up and share the the gospel, or my heart is withered because someone's withered-ness was used to abuse my wholeness... He was made whole. Perhaps I can be too. ? !!"
HOPE BUILT!
There are so many other things my mind pulls from this story, but with the Savior being "made" for us-- to give us rest, to give great reason to glorify God for his goodness... to make us whole! And oh how He can! We may be asked to stand or do something we would prefer not doing, a calling, an assignment, following through on an impression. Asked to "stretch" forth out of our comfort zone or the way we have made our life to be... And after we are asked to do that thing, we may have to "stand for a while"t, but the Savior who was made for us, knows how to make us whole! He knows how to give us rest! He knows how to make our hearts to rejoice and give Glory to God, because of God's great kindness in providing "making" a Savior for us! It is not a question of whether He can. He will! His timing, His way--in accordance with what the Father's will is.
"Stretch forth thine hand. And [she] stretched it out: and [her] hand was restored whole as the other." (!)
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