Show up
Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered. But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Arise and stand here.” And he arose and stood. And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.
Luke 6:6, 8, 10 NKJV
This is an amazing story of restoration.
On this particular Sabbath in this Synagogue this man with the withered hand shows up! We do not know if it was his first time or if this is were he grew up.
This particular Sabbath his life was going to change.
I am sure it was not easy for him to go in. Imagine understanding the heart of the Jewish leaders. They saw any physical ailment as a result from sin.
The shame this man must have felt. Do you know what the amazing thing about this is?
This man did not let it stop HIm from going and worshiping God!
He shows up!
Maybe he knew that there were answers in the Holy Scriptures.
Maybe His friends encouraged him to be there.
Maybe he didn’t allow anything to get in the way of worshiping his glorious Father!
Luke told us that it was his right hand specifically.
Why does that matter?
The majority of all the human race is right handed.
Just like his hand, he is seen as useless.
With this withered hand he would not be able to work to provide for his family. His strong dominant hand would not be able to do the duties that everyday life would bring.
His hand was lifeless and withered.
Do you know what the amazing thing about this man is?
He did not let any of those exterior things stop what was in his heart and spirit!
He showed up!
Seeking the Lord at all costs!
There are so many times I have not wanted to go to church. There are so many excuses my mind will give my heart. And the scary thing is I have the choice. Either listen to my thoughts or listen to where the Lord is leading.
This man had a choice. He had no idea what Jesus was about to do. This man didn’t know the plans that The Father in Heaven was going to allow to happen to him. This man didn’t know that his story would be in the Word of God for an eternity for all of us today to be inspired by.
All he did was show up!
Imagine if this man did not go to the Synagogue on that day to worship the Lord!
Would he have been healed or would he have missed his blessing?
No one should ever want to miss out on what the Lord may have for them!
We should be excited to hear what the Lord speaks through His Holy Word!
Show up!
We have become so complacent in searching and following God.
Our mentality has changed. We are quick to make an excuse not to go to church.
There is something special when the children of God gather.
If you go throughout the Scriptures some of the most incredible miracles happen in crowds of believers.
This man didn’t let anything stop him from getting close and seeking the Lord!
I am sure that there must have been some comfort knowing that maybe there was someone close that could sympathize, encourage, pray for him, stand with, hold him up in his weakness.
Maybe he knew that there was something more important than his body being whole. Maybe he understood that it was more important for his heart to be at peace and his spirit to be filled with the love, grace and mercy of his God.
Every time you walk into a true house of God you will be Blessed. His spoken Word can heal the sickest heart. It can fill the most empty soul. It can change the crooked thinking of the mind. It will set the path in front of you. It will encourage you. It may convict you, but it is all for the building up of the soul to have a reliance on the Most Holy and Precious Word of God!
This man entered into the rest of His God to hear and to worship.
This is the very place we must seek to be healed.
Our country, society has slipped away from the place of Refuge!
Even if you have to limp into a house of God, show up!
Right now we still have the freedom to gather as One under the Banner of Jesus Christ, don’t squander that because you don’t ” feel it’.
I’m sure this man looked down at His hand every Sabbath and tried to make an excuse not to go to Synagogue.
No matter physically mentally, emotionally, Spiritually, there is a remedy waiting.
Even If you don’t have the strength, rely on those brothers and sisters around you to carry you. The House of God is a House of repair and restoration! Use it as such.
We are all withered!
There is a part in us that needs to be restored and healed!
We have to stop allowing the guilt and shame or even laziness keep us from coming together as a Body of Christ.
This man probably didn’t know Who was waiting for him. He probably didn’t know what was about to happen.
The Lord Jesus Christ knew!
We have the One that understands the hurt, lame, dirty sinner. He hears the cries of the faithful. He sees the tears and He even collects them. He sees the withered unusable parts of us and He restores them because He can sympathize with us!
Jesus says to the man stretch out your withered hand. This is an amazing miracle in itself.
The paralyzed, useless, dead withered hand came forth and was stretched out before the Lord.
Stretch it to Him. Stretch out the withered part. Relinquish it to Jesus and see the healing power of His compassion come over and renew what has been lame and limp.
Maybe this man wasn’t willing to offer it to him. Standing in front of the Messiah can be intimidating.
Exposing your weakness to him is not easy.
The hardest part is showing up.
He obeyed the command of the Lord.
He was willing to put the embarrassment behind. The shame melts away. Desperation takes over. Courage kicked in and he stepped forward.
Then He trusted that Jesus would not do harm.
Finally someone saw him as worthy. Not as an outcast.
It is only Christ that completes us.
Jesus met this man’s stretched out hand right where it was. Jesus healed it, no questions asked.
This man was healed and restored.
A Testimony of the Healing Power of God through His Son Jesus, even on the Sabbath!
We are all withered in some area of our lives and we try to hide what is weak.
When we are weak, that’s when Jesus is strong. That’s when the firm foundation of our faith has to be stirred up. In our weakness.
There is something that we deal with, or don’t deal with, that is whitered and needs the healing restoration touch of Jesus!
Sometimes all we have to do is show up.
Today I encourage you to show up.
Show up in your hurt, pain and sorrow.
Show up in your sin, guilt and shame.
Show up with a limp or even a crawl.
Then stretch out the withered and let the Hand of God restore!
Pastor Ed