If he did, they could accuse him. Jesus said to the man with the paralyzed hand, “Stand here,
in the center.” Then he asked them, “What does the law allow us to do on the Sabbath? To do
good or to do harm? To save life or to kill?” But they were silent. Then Jesus looked around at
them with anger and deep sadness at their hardness of heart. And he said to the man, “Stretch
out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was healed. As soon as the Pharisees left,
they met with Herod’s supporters, looking for a way to destroy Jesus.
Reflect
“Stretch out your hand.” It’s a simple command to the man, but amazing just the same. His
hand has been paralyzed and only through Jesus’ healing is he able to stretch it out and make
use of it once again. Jesus commands us in the same way. We too are called to stretch out
our hands.
We are invited to stretch out our hands and share what we have with those who are in need.
We are called to stretch out our hands to help others carry their burdens. We stretch out
our hands to offer welcome and friendship to those who are lonely or marginalized.
Like Jesus, our efforts to stretch out our hands may meet with opposition. It is all too easy
to simply ignore those in need or to decide that today is not a good day to help. Our actions
may challenge or shame others, arousing their anger. In such cases, we turn to the example
of Jesus who stretched out his hands on the cross to save us.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023