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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion The Time Is Always Right March 4, 2010 |
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Frontline Devotion for Thursday, March 4, 2010 by Brenda Kessler
Luke 6:8-10 “He knew what they were up to and spoke to the man with the crippled hand. ‘Get up and stand here before us.’ He did. Then Jesus addressed them, ‘Let me ask you something. What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?’ He looked around, looked each one in the eye. He said to the man, ‘Hold out your hand.’ He held it out-it was as good as new.” (The Message)
“Look at me,” our daughter-in-law said to our young grandson as she was trying to teach him table manners. “We do not throw food when we are eating.” She wanted to be sure our grandson heard what she was saying so she first said, “Look at me.” She wanted to get his attention.
Jesus used the same technique when he wanted to get the people’s attention. But first he asked a question. “What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?” The Pharisees had been asking Jesus many questions. “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” (Chapter 5 vs.30) “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” (Chapter 6 vs. 2) Now it was Jesus’ turn.
Jesus wanted the people to see what he was about to do, so “he looked around, looked each one in the eye.” Jesus looked at the people. He wanted to get their attention. He wanted to be sure they saw what he was doing – healing on the Sabbath. There was no “don’t- tell- anyone” message with this healing. Jesus wanted everybody to see what he was doing. He wanted everybody to see and hear His important message: It was okay to reach out to somebody who needed help, even on the Sabbath.
Do you know somebody with a crippled hand? Do you know somebody with a crippled spirit? Do you know somebody with a crippled heart? Do you know somebody with a crippled body? Jesus taught us that there is no wrong time to reach out to help.
“I tell you this: anything you did for one of my brothers
here, however humble, you did for me.” (The New English Bible)
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for showing us that the time is always right to
reach out to somebody in need. Give us confidence to reach out even when
the unwritten “rules” tell us otherwise. Amen