Jesus Couldn’t Wait

Luke 6:1-11
Our reading from Luke for today includes the following: “Then Jesus said to them, ‘I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?’ After looking around at all of them, he said to him, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ [The man] did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus” (Luke 6:9-11). So why did Jesus heal on the sabbath? Why didn’t he wait until the next day to heal the man’s hand thereby accommodating the Pharisees and abiding by the law? Wouldn’t that have accomplished more for the glory of God by giving his enemies less to complain about?

The answer is that Jesus simply could not wait, nor would he allow himself to be stymied by the negative mindset of those around him. Grace - God’s outpouring of love and redemption - is not a commodity to be meted out on a schedule or made available during “normal business hours.” It abounds. It flows. It overwhelms. Healing takes place according to God’s will, not when the calendar says it should. The law said that no work was to be done on the sabbath, so for some this meant that even God was expected to remain inactive. But in calling men and women to a new relationship with God Jesus challenged these assumptions and showed that God could not be confined temporally, physically, geographically, spiritually, or in any other manner. Jesus showed that in God’s coming reign the doors are always open “for business.”

So what restrictions do we try to put on God according to our customs or our understanding? Into what boxes do we try to try to force God’s grace? Do we demand that God meet our expectations while we go about doing what we want where we want? Jesus healed on the sabbath because it needed to be done and because God wanted it done. Jesus could not wait, nor should we. Sharing the grace and love of God for all people is something that we simply cannot postpone or limit.

Prayer: God of all time and space, we ask for the courage to live as your people, embracing your will for the world while defying the assumptions of those who would like to ration your grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.