Wednesday, June 10, 2026

PT-2 “In a Synagogue” (Luke 6:6-11)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/10/2026 9:56 AM

My Worship Time                                                                         Focus: PT-2 “In a Synagogue”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                  Reference:  Luke 6:6-11

            Bible Reading & Meditation “On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught; and a man was there whose right hand was withered. Now the scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him [closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse Him. But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!” And he got up and came forward. And Jesus said to them, “I ask you whether it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do harm, to save a life or to destroy it?” 10 And after looking around at them all, He said to him, “Stretch out your hand!” And he did so; and his hand was restored. 11 But they themselves were filled with senseless rage, and began discussing together what they might do to Jesus.”

            I want to pick up from where I left off in last night's Spiritual Diary, and as I mentioned in it this section is a fairly long section so perhaps I will be able to finish it this evening.  Now remember we are writing about a second conflict in the life of our Savior, a conflict should not have taken place because if the Jews of Jesus’ day would only have look at the pages of the Bible instead of their traditions that they were going by then they would have realized who the Lord Jesus Christ was for there are many Old Testament prophecies that speak of Jesus coming the first time, and then many more of when He will come again, which is in two phases, as He will come to the clouds above the earth to call His Church home to be with Him, and then at the end of the Tribulation period He will come back to planet earth in order to end the tribulation period and then set things up for the Millenium, the last 1000 years of history on planet Earth.  I certainly look forward to what is called the rapture of the Church to go to heaven and be forever with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I also look forward to working in the Millenium for the cause of Christ in that long period of human history, but perhaps most look forward to the eternal state which happens after the earth and all the other planets are destroyed.  God has a wonderful plan for His people, and I am so thankful that I and all those who believe in Him are a part of that plan.

            MacArthur writes “Needless to say, ministering to a sick person was by no means a violation of the Old Testament regulations concerning the Sabbath (cf. Matt. 12:7).”

(cf. Matt. 12:7)

“7  And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.”

“The rabbis, however, had decreed that no one, whether a physician, friend, or family member, could treat a sick person on the Sabbath.  To do so, they taught, would be work and hence a violation of the Sabbath.  The only two exceptions they allowed were cases when a person might otherwise die before the Sabbath ended, or a pregnant woman who gave birth on the Sabbath.  Other than those two situations, showing compassion and mercy to a suffering person made on a blaspheming lawbreaker.”  The more I read and study about how these so called leaders of Israel were doing the more angry it makes me.  I can surely see that Satan had a very large part in what these people were doing.  God wrote in His Law something that was completely different than what these leaders were doing and yet they missed it and the reason they missed it was because they though that their plans were better than God’s plan, and it seems to me that the same thing is going on in our world and country today.

            Back to MacArthur’s commentary “As He had earlier done (5:22) and would later do (11:17), Jesus in His omniscience knew what they were thinking.

(5:22)

“22  When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, "Why do you question in your hearts?”

(11:17)

“17  But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.”

“The Lord was fully aware of their vicious hateful thoughts toward Him; that they were waiting for Him to heal so they could accuse Him of breaking the Sabbath.  Ignoring their legalistic, merciless regulations and intentions, Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, ‘Get up and come forward!’  He was the perfect candidate to help the Lord stage His assault on their twisted view of the Sabbath.  His condition was clearly not life threatening, so there was no possible justification under the death exception for helping him.

            The crippled man got up and came forward and stood before the synagogue audience.  It was a dramatic movement, as the people waited to see what Jesus was going to do. Addressing the scribes and Pharisees, who no doubt had front-row seats (11:43; 20:46; Matt. 23:6; Mark 12:39), Jesus asked the self-proclaimed experts on the law a pointed question.”

(11:43; 20:46; Matt. 23:6; Mark 12:39)

“43  Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.”

“46  "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts,”

“6  and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues”

“39  and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts,”

“I ask you, “He demanded, “is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?”  As was often the case, the Lord’s question impaled His opponents on the horns of a dilemma.  On the one hand, answering that it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath would officially authorize Jesus to heal the man.  They could not then indict Him for breaking the Sabbath.  On the other hand, answering that it was not lawful to do good would reveal their wicked, merciless hearts.  That would tear down their veneer of self-righteousness and piosity and expose them as the hypocrites they were.”  I think it best that I stop here for after this section there will be a very long quote which will include many, many verses, and so not to make this SD too long I will stop here.  By the way the quotation of Scripture comes from the prophet Isaiah.

Spiritual meaning for my life today: Now as I write these Spiritual Diaries, it is very important for me to write the truth as I study the different books of the Bible.  I have great respect to the commentaries that John MacArthur wrote while he was on planet earth, and also respect for others like the late Warren Wiersbe, and also a few others, and I trust them to write and speak the truth.  One has to be careful when studying the Word of God and not put things into it that are not there as the scribes and Pharisees did in the time of Christ, while He was on planet earth. 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trusting the Lord as my life and especially my wife’s life is on a rollercoaster at this time with different emotions as she continues to battle cancer.  I know that the Lord is in control of her life and also my life and so I desire to trust the Lord for He knows all things and is full of grace and mercy.

6/10/2026 10:39 AM

 

 

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