Jesus Risks Himself to Rescue You

I’ve been thinking of Matthew 12:9-14 this morning.

Jesus said “The Scripture says, ‘I want kindness and mercy more than I want sacrifices.’ You don’t really know what those words mean. If you understood them, you would not judge those who have done nothing wrong. “So the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath day.”

Jesus left there and went into their synagogue, where there was a man with a withered, crippled hand. They were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they asked him, “Is it right to heal on the Sabbath day?” Jesus answered, “If any of you has a sheep, and it falls into a ditch on the Sabbath day, you will help it out of the ditch. Surely a human being is more important than a sheep. So it is lawful to do good things on the Sabbath day.”

Then Jesus said to the man with the withered, crippled hand, “Hold out your hand.” The man held out his hand, and it became well again, like the other hand. But the Pharisees left and made plans to destroy Jesus.

Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus calls us “sheep.” All of us fall into a “ditch” from time to time. Jesus offers us what He expects us to offer others: mercy and kindness. And only Jesus can truly heal our withered, crippled souls.

“Jesus left there and went into their synagogue, where there was a man with a withered, crippled hand.”

Jesus will risk Himself and walk right into a place filled with hostility and hatred toward Him to rescue you.

Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath and the Great Shepherd offers you HIS sheep, mercy, and kindness as He gently lifts you out of your “ditch.” I encourage you to do as the man with the withered, crippled hand did, reach your tired, tried, and even “withered & crippled” soul toward Jesus and let Him heal you right in the midst of the Accuser of the brethren, (Satan) and the naysayers (even when YOU are the naysayer to yourself) and right before those who seek to destroy you.