Reflection
We read today the second of back-to-back sabbath episodes. Judging from the number of such stories in the Gospels, confrontations about the sabbath must have been frequent during Jesus’ ministry and during the early days of the Church.
There is a shift in the attitude of the Pharisees and scribes from the previous episode. Rather than criticizing perceived violation of the sabbath laws already committed, they are actively scrutinizing Jesus’ actions in the attempt to condemn him.
Jesus anticipating the trap they try to set for him, will preempt them: “… is it lawful to do good on the sabbath…” The implied answer is obvious. Even Jewish law permitted healing on the sabbath under certain conditions.
Jesus had, in the previous episode announced: “The Son of man is the lord of the sabbath.” Jesus, using his favored title for himself, announces his authority. Elsewhere, he will also assert: “…the sabbath was made for man,” not the other way around.
Allegorically, Fathers of the Church would point out that the crippled man signifies mankind corrupt and fallen from grace. His hand is crippled because it stretched out for the forbidden fruit. Christ comes with forgiveness to restore man to spiritual health.
The withered hand is cured but the hardheartedness of the Jews remains.
Luke has introduced the Pharisees as opponents of Jesus for the first time just previous to these passages. While Luke mentions them as adversaries frequently, he will also mention them in a positive light, i.e., Gamaliel. In Luke, the Pharisees will not participate in the high priest’s plot to kill Jesus. Luke will record the ongoing debate regarding the role of Jewish law in early Christianity represented by convert Pharisees in his book of Acts. Ultimately, they would be overruled due to their limiting of universal forgiveness offered by the Way.