The miracles of Jesus - Classical Christian Literature by Athleo.net

THE WITHERED HAND 239
the Sabbath day. On the instant, with bravery and
self-devotion, our Lord flung the shield of His
authority over His disciples, and they must have
felt as the Greeks were said to have done when
Achilles was standing amongst them. Our Lord
pointed out that once when David was hungry he
had eaten of the holy bread in the Tabernacle, which
was against the law of the ritual, for it was intended
only for the priests ;
and yet he was regarded as
blameless, because it was necessary for him to sustain
his life as the anointed of Jehovah. Besides this,
He added, the Pharisees had often themselves been
in the temple and seen the priests offering sacrifices,
cleaning the altar, busy about the holy place on the
Sabbath day. This was work, and the law had
forbidden any work to be done, yet no blame was
attached to such action, and if the scribes argued
it is the temple itself which makes the act sacred,
then the reply of our Lord was, " I am greater
than the temple. In the truest sense I am the
temple, and these men, living in My love and following
Me, can find all things and all places sacred." The
Sabbath was made for man, and whatever will
support life and fit for service may be lawfully and
rightly done.
On this second Sabbath similar teaching was given.
The residents of Capernaum were assembled in the
white marble synagogue which the Roman Centurion
had built, and must have been amazed to see the
Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem. One man had
been put in a conspicuous place, who could not fail to
arouse attention and pity, and Jesus, seeing him there,
said to him, "Stand forth." Then He asked the