Seven Miracles Jesus Performed on the Sabbath
Good Morning Friends,
The last couple of days we have been exploring sevens in the Bible. So far we have touched on the Last Seven Words on the Cross and the Seven Invitations of Christ. Today we continue this theme as we meditate on Seven Miracles Jesus Performed on the Sabbath.
Scripture: He left that place and entered their synagogue; a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, “Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath?” so that they might accuse him. He said to them, “Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.
Matthew 12:9-14 (NRSV)
They went to Capernaum; and when the Sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
Mark 1:21-28 (NRSV)
As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
Mark 1:29-31 (NRSV)
And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.
Luke 13:10-13 (NRSV)
On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the Sabbath, they were watching him closely. Just then, in front of him, there was a man who had dropsy. And Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to cure people on the Sabbath, or not?” But they were silent. So Jesus took him and healed him, and sent him away.
Luke 14:1-4 (NRSV
Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a Sabbath.
John 5:8-9 (NRSV)
Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.
John 9:14 (NRSV)
Message: Well here is mud in your eye. Jesus is at it again bending the rules and shaking things up, taking some risk and being radical. In today’s scripture we see him, over a period of time, performing seven miracles on God’s holy Sabbath Day (which ran from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset). For some it was breaking the rules, but today it seems more of an affirmation of the sacredness of God expanding.
So Jesus heals a man with a withered hand. Jesus heals the Man with an Unclean Spirit. Jesus heals Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. He heals a woman attending synagogue, who was crippled for eighteen years. At a Pharisee’s house eating a meal with the host and several lawyers, Jesus heals a man with dropsy. Jesus heals a man who is unable to walk at the pool of Bethesda. And Jesus heals a man born blind at the pool of Siloam. When word got out about what Jesus had done for these people there was no big celebration among the religious leaders that they had been healed. You would think this would be cause for great joy. Instead, they were angered that he broke the law by doing “work” on the Sabbath! Instead of being commended for healing, Jesus was instead condemned for acting outside the norm and being just a little too radical. And here in doing it this way Jesus reveals something especially important about whom he was and what his mission on earth was all about. By healing on the Sabbath Jesus shows us that faith is not about following a bunch of rules but in trusting the Son of God. All these healings were to demonstrate his role as Messiah but also the radical concept of grace that Jesus was ushering into existence through his life, death and resurrection.
Pray we realize that doing trumps thinking! Pray we have a religion that heals hand and foot, and eye and tongue. Pray we are following a doctrine that heals. Pray we realize that our spirituality needs Jesus. Pray our faith be radical enough to warrant God’s grace. Pray that our form of worship would honor Jesus’ radical compassion as a work of God. Pray we realize that legalistic Sabbath keeping is a deadly practice. Pray our Sabbath rest is a time of healing. Pray the peace of Christ rules in our hearts.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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