Sabbath-work

Christ healed men on all sorts of days.

But Sabbaths were high days of grace.

Six special cases of cures wrought on the Sabbath are recorded.

1. The evil spirit cast out. Luke 4:31–35.

2. The withered hand restored. Luke 6:6–10.

3. The crooked woman made straight. Luke 13:10–17.

4. The man with the dropsy cured. Luke 14:1–6.

5. The impotent man made whole. John 5:1–9.

6. The blind man’s eyes opened. John 9:1–14.

   • As God rested on the Sabbath, and hallowed it; so as God it was rest to Jesus to heal, and thus he hallowed the day.
   • As man he also rested his heart, exercised a holy ministry, glorified God, and hallowed the day.

I. THESE CURES MEET MANY CASES.

1. Those under Satanic influence. Luke 4:31–35. Many are in this case at this hour.

2. Those conscious of spiritual inability. Luke 6:6–10.

3. Those bowed down with great distress, despondency, despair, etc. Luke 13:10–17. This poor woman had been infirm for eighteen years.

4. Those smitten with mortal disease. Luke 14:1–6. This typifies the deadly character of sin, and represents the case of those upon whom is the dread of the second death.

5. Those altogether paralyzed. John 5:1–9. This man had been impotent for thirty-eight years. Some seem specially unable to feel, or do, or be what they should be. They are weak and irresolute, and though lying at the healing-pool, others step in before them, and they derive no benefit from the means of grace.

6. Those blind from birth. John 9:1–14. Many are in this condition. They see no spiritual truth, but abide in total darkness as to all gospel truth.

II. THESE CURES REPRESENT USUAL PROCESSES.

1. A word addressed to the devil. “Hold your peace, and come out of him”: Luke 4:35. Satan feels the power of the Word of the Lord; but he cares for nothing else.

2. A word personal to the sufferer. “Stretch forth your hand”: Luke 6:10. He was unable, and yet he was commanded; and he obeyed. This is the gospel method.

3. A word accepted as done. “You are loosed from your infirmity”: Luke 13:12. Faith turns promise into fact, gospel-teaching into actual salvation.

4. Power without a word. Luke 14:4.

5. A word arousing and commanding. “Rise, take up your bed, and walk”: John 5:8. Many are saved by being stirred up from long inactivity and lethargy.

6. A word associated with other means. John 9:6–7. The whole miracle is deeply instructive on this point.

   • In these varied forms and fashions, Jesus works on the Sabbath.

III. THESE CURES WERE BOTH IN AND OUT OF THE SYNAGOGUE.

1. There, and misbehaving. Luke 4:33.

2. There, and singled out from the crowd. Luke 6:8.

3. There, and called to Jesus. Luke 13:12.

4. After the synagogue service. Luke 14:1.

5. Too feeble to get there. John 5:5.

6. Too poor to be there. John 9:8.

IV. THESE CURES WERE ALL UNSOUGHT.

This is one special feature about them all.

1. The possessed man entreated Christ to leave him alone. Luke 4:34.

2. The man with the withered hand did not think of cure. Luke 6:6.

3. The infirm woman did not hope for healing. Luke 13:11.

4. The man with the dropsy did not ask for the blessing. Luke 14:2.

5. The infirm man was too paralyzed to seek Christ. John 5:5.

6. It was an unheard-of thing that the eyes of a man born blind should be opened, and therefore he did not expect it. John 9:32.

   • This also is the Sabbath; let us look to the Lord of the Sabbath.
   • Will he not this day bless those who are seekers?
   • Will he not bless those whom we bring to him?
   • Will he not bless those for whom we pray?

Sermon Bells

On Sunday Heaven’s gate stands ope; Blessings are plentiful and rife, More plentiful than hope.

—George Herbert.

On his death-bed, Brainerd said: “I was born on a Sabbath-day; I have reason to hope I was new-born on a Sabbath-day; and I hope I shall die on this Sabbath-day.”

Was it not meet that the Lord of the Sabbath should specially display his sovereignty upon that day? May we not now expect that, on the Lord’s-day, the Lord of the day will magnify his own name, and make the day illustrious by his grace? The first day of the week was signalized by the giving of the light of nature, and it is most delightful that now it should be a chosen day for bestowing the light of grace. It is to us the Sabbath; should not the Lord give rest to wearied hearts upon that day? Men call it Sunday: we are happy when the Sun of righteousness then arises with healing in his wings. Of old the week’s work was done, and then the Sabbath dawned; but now rest leads the way: we begin the week’s work with the Sabbath rest, because we first find rest in Jesus, and then labor for him. Blessed is the Lord’s-day when the Lord himself speaks rest in his own finished work, to those who otherwise would have labored in vain.—C. H. S.

Christ came not into the world merely to cast a mantle over us, and hide all our filthy sores from God’s avenging eye, with his merits, and righteousness; but he came especially to be a surgeon and physician of souls, to free us from the filth and corruption of them, which are more grievous and burdensome, more noisome to a true Christian, than the guilt of sin itself.—Cudworth.

Metaphor: Physicians come not to the sick until they are sent for; and though they come not far, yet expect to be paid for that, besides their physic. Disparity: Christ came to us, who sent not for him, which made him say, “I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not”: Isaiah 65:1. The patients seek not first, come not first, to the Physician; but the Physician to the patients. “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10); and, besides, he dearly paid all the charge of his long journey.—Benjamin Keach.