This is a familiar story for us. In the temple, on the sabbath, the Pharisees ask Jesus, "Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?" There was a man with a withered hand in the synagogue and after responding to them with a question, Jesus heals the man. The Pharisees then resolve to put Jesus to death. Perhaps because this is so very familiar, I never caught the irony that George Martin points out below.
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| Christ healing the man with a withered hand, Byzantine mosaic. |
Matthew does recount the reaction of those who had questioned Jesus about healing on the Sabbath. But the Pharisees went our and took counsel against him to put him to death. The phrase, "put him to death" could also be translated, "destroy him." By doing good and showing mercy on the Sabbath, Jesus has put his own life in danger. This is the first notice in Matthew's gospel that Jesus has mortal enemies. It is deeply ironic that those who consider healing a violation of the Sabbath then hatch deadly plans on the Sabbath. ...Quote is from Bringing the Gospel of Matthew to Life by George Martin. This series first ran in 2008. I'm refreshing it as I go.
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