The professors of faith, at the time of Jesus, were complicated in the net of their law that they neither noticed the tribulations of their brothers, nor sought their healing, but they considered handworks and all kinds of healing a sin on the Sabbath.
They did not observe that Jesus healed everyone freely in his mercy, and that every service in love was a true worship. But they believed that the fulfillment of the rites would prepare the way of God. They did not recognize that their hearts were hardened in spite of all their piety. Therefore, they became spiteful against those who thought in a different way, and they became spiritually dead in their bigotry.
As such, the wonderful meeting took place: The godly, and not the unbelievers, watched the Son of God’s love spitefully to complain against him and deliver him to the religious court. They lost the sense of God’s love, and his Spirit was far from them even in the midst of their worship. But the tax collectors and sinners noticed God’s presence in Christ, and they repented and were healed.
Jesus loved his fanatic enemies. He also loved the man with the withered hand. Thus, he proclaimed the love of God in public, made the suffering man stand in their midst, and he hit his watchers in their innermost being.
Jesus did not prohibit the human mind, and common sense, but he did not consider them as a separate power, which can, without God’s revelation, recognize the mysteries of God in this world and the world to come. Jesus overcame his enemies with the logic of his love, and he silenced them with the simple thought which is found in every human being.
Good deed is good, and evil deed is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. He who leaves someone in a trouble and passes by him indifferently is like a murderer.
The first aid to a wounded man is sometimes as important as, or more important than preaching. You cannot preach anyone with his stomach crying out, or his blood flowing out of his wounds. First, give him bread, water, and a bandage. Love rules over all and guides to necessary steps.
The loving Jesus became angry at the spiritual blindness in the professors of his time. The love of God does not hinder his holy wrath, which is a deep agitation in his heart when people do not accord with his Spirit. Yet, Jesus did not destroy the hypocrites, but he became sad at the state of their hearts having thought themselves righteous while they were dead in their haughtiness and cold godliness. The love of God does not pounce down immediately on all ungodliness of men, for he is patient. But his just holiness requires full punishment for each sin. How patient is God who delays his wrath for our weakness, and gives us time to change the mind and carry out his love! In this manner, Jesus healed the man with the withered hand, with the word of his power, with a divine order as a symbol of his authority, and a sign of judgment against all those who refuse him.
The Pharisees did not want to change their minds, nor did they open their senses to the love of Christ, but they became futile in their thoughts. They met together immediately after the service, and took as partners some policemen of King Herod’s to plot together how they might kill the Founder of the new covenant. They did not only intend to kill him bodily, but also to wipe off his teaching, and deliver him as a deceiver that he might fall to hell and everlasting destruction. Their law became their god, and they determined to sacrifice the Son of God for their law. The spirit of Satan was unable to make Jesus fall into any temptation in the wilderness, so in his weakness he wanted to destroy him through the demon-possessed professors of religion.
Blessed are the Lord’s ministers, for no one can make any one hair of their heads fall down as long as the Lord has given them a chance for ministry.
Jesus knew their plotting. He did not flee, but continued his ministry in the way of his love, protected by his Father who proclaimed his name to the world.