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Healing School #13 | The Man with the Withered Hand | Nancy Dufresne | Jesus the Healer Broadcast
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Hi, I'm Nancy Dufresne. Welcome to our podcast channel. We know you'll be blessed by today's message.
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Welcome to Jesus the Healer. We're so glad you're with us today. We've been for the last several weeks, we've been studying what we're calling healing school. So we're going through the healing miracles that happened under Jesus earthly ministry. And we're studying them line by line, verse by verse, because we understand that if we will do what those people did, we will get what those people got. And we have to understand that the works that Jesus did is a threefold work. He went everywhere teaching, preaching and healing. And so that is to be what comprises our earthly ministry. Every church should be teaching, preaching and healing. And so we don't want to leave any aspect of doing the works of Jesus out of our own ministries. And so we want to emphasize what he emphasized. And so to do that, we want to take our spiritual textbook, our divine textbook, the Word of God, and study what he did line by line, and so that we can get results so we can be skillful just as he was. So we invite you to turn with us to Luke chapter six. And we're going to look at another account of healing that happened under Jesus earthly ministry in Luke chapter 6. And we'll start reading in verse 6, and we'll go all the way through verse 11. We invite you, grab your Bible, grab a notebook, grab a pen, pencil, and follow along with us and take notes, because these truths belong to you so that you can become as skillful as he was. So again, Luke chapter six. Six. And it came to pass also on another Sabbath, that Jesus entered into the synagogue and taught. And there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and Pharisees watched him whether he would heal on the Sabbath day, that they might find an accusation against him. But he knew their thoughts and said to the man which had the withered hand, rise up and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing. Is it lawful on the Sabbath days to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it? And looking around upon them all, he said unto the man, stretch forth thy hand. And he did so. And his hand was restored whole as the other. And they were filled with madness. That will make you wonder, won't it? They were filled with madness and communed one with another, what they might do to Jesus. So let's go back to verse six and we'll go through each verse and look at it in detail because we don't want to just skim over or read too quickly past something that's going to give us skill. Verse 6. And it came to pass also on another Sabbath that Jesus entered into the synagogue and taught. And there was a man whose right hand was withered. So notice Jesus is teaching those in the synagogue. The body of Christ needs teaching. God's people need teaching. Because when people are ignorant of what the Word says, that is Satan's place to take advantage of them. And listen, Jesus took the advantage away from him, but the enemy is trying to look for a way to get the advantage back. And ignorance, our ignorance, gives Satan an advantage in our lives. Now, ignorance doesn't mean you're unable to learn. It means you're untaught. And so Satan is counting on our ignorance. He can't work when knowledge meets him. He can't work when we understand who we are in Christ and we exercise who we are in Christ. But ignorance is, is an open door to, to the enemy's workings. So having knowledge of the Word and being a doer of the Word is one of our greatest defenses against the enemy. People are saying, oh God, protect me against the enemy, Protect me against that, protect me against this. When you have knowledge of who you are and you exercise that knowledge, you're a doer of that word, you are defended. That is one of your main defenses against the enemy, to be a doer of the Word. Because when we're a doer of the Word, what, what many people, where, where, where they have an open door to the enemy is. They don't even recognize a scheme of the enemy. They don't even recognize that the enemy is working in many cases. So they don't take a stand against it. They just yield to things. They cooperate with the wrong flow, they cooperate with wrong thoughts, wrong words. Because when a wrong thought comes, they don't recognize that as the enemy. And so they don't take the place of casting that down. They accept wrong thoughts and they turn them over into their minds. And that lack of knowledge, that lack of recognizing that that was a scheme of the enemy, becomes an entrance place for the enemy. So this is what feeding on the Word, being taught and being a doer of the word helps. It helps you to recognize when the enemy is trying to gain an entrance. And that's the number one thing. If the devil. The devil wants to work unnoticed, because when he's recognized, many will stand up and resist him. But if they don't even recognize that it's the enemy at work. They think that it's just their spouse. They think that it's just, you know, just the way they were raised. And so when they don't recognize, that's the first thing to victory is recognize when the enemy's working. That's the first thing is recognize when the enemy is working against you. He's got many schemes, and he will employ many different avenues through which to attack, through which to gain an entrance. And that's our number one thing is to recognize. Having knowledge of the Word helps you to recognize what. What's God and what isn't God. Amen. So Jesus was doing in the synagogue what God's people needed. Now, notice these were Jewish people who'd be teaching. These are people with a covenant. These are people who grew up going to the synagogue on every Sabbath day. But notice Jesus was there teaching before he started healing. He started teaching? Yes, primarily you're going to see the setting that teaching happens, then healing happens. Not to say that you know that a service cannot begin with someone getting healed. It can if that congregation is taught. So you don't want to become legalistic in that no one gets healed till I teach. Because if you've had a flow of teaching in your church, there is that foundation to which healing can flow from. But primarily we see that when Jesus was dealing with the congregations and the multitudes, he took time to teach them why, because then they would cooperate with him in receiving their healing. So this is what we see, that Jesus was teaching this day in the synagogue. But especially not only does teaching give you light of the Word, teaching is the cure for unbelief. Teaching is the cure for doubt. Teaching is the cure for fear that when you take your place in the Word, when you take your place of who you are in Christ, it runs doubt out, it runs fear out, it runs oppression out, it runs depression out, it'll run sickness out. Sometimes you can just. It can just dawn on your spirit. I am the healed. And sickness will just leave. When. When light comes, darkness cannot comprehend it, darkness cannot overpower it, and darknesses run out. So we see that Jesus was. He was teaching them what the Word said, and he was also setting it up so that others could receive their miracle. So it says that in this synagogue, as Jesus was teaching, there was a man whose right hand was withered. Now, I'm guessing there I have no scripture for it, but you have no scripture to disprove it. That this man probably wasn't the only one there who needed healing that day. I know in pastoring 25 years, anytime I call for someone who needs healing in a service, I don't remember just one person coming up when I gave a general call. There was always more than one who needed something. So we see this one man get healed, but my guess is there were so many others who could have. But what Jesus was there, no doubt teaching them hopefully so that they would receive, because so be it done unto you according to your faith, is what Jesus said. So he's trying to stir faith in the people. And so in this setting, there's this man whose right hand was withered in verse seven, says, and the scribes and Pharisees watched him whether he would heal on the Sabbath day, that they might find an accusation against him. So the religious, religious leaders weren't watching him to see how he would bless the people. They were watching with critical eyes. They weren't watching to be a student of this man. Where miracles followed Jesus ministry was producing far more results than these religious leaders were producing. I don't care how long you've been in the ministry, if someone is producing something in line with the Word and you're not, be a student, Be a student. Sit there ready and willing and taking in. Be a lifelong student, because there's always more to know. Now, Kenneth Hagin was our spiritual father, and every time we would go to his services, we weren't just there to occupy a seat, we were there to get everything we could get. It matters. The approach, the, the mindset, the desire you have when you enter a service that we don't just sit there with a let me see what you got attitude, let me see what you can do attitude. And so this is what we have. We have from these religious leaders a critical eye. They went there to, in listening to Jesus. They were listening not for what was right, but for what was wrong. Yeah, they weren't looking for what they agreed in, they were looking for what they disagreed in. And so how we approach a service determines what God can do for us in that service. That's right. Amen. If we just approach it half heartedly, we won't receive all that that God would offer us in a service. If we just approach it disinterestedly, we won't receive all. So it does matter that we go to church, we sit under the teaching of the word hungry. That when you open your Bible to study and read it at home, that your approach to it is one of, I'm hungry, I want to see I honor this Word, that we're not casual toward this Word. So if we're to receive in a service, we can't be critical of the man, of God, of the Word that's being preached. Now, don't misunderstand me. What we receive needs to be in line with the Word. We don't. We're not gullible in the sense of we just swallow everything that is said. It must be in line with the Word. But the thing is, when God gives you a pastor, he's giving you someone to bless your life, not someone to be critical about. And so this is what we see. No telling what these Pharisees, what these scribes would have needed in their own personal lives that day that they didn't get because they approached Jesus ministry critically. So we're not against what God may do in a service. They were looking to be against something. They weren't looking to be for something. The thing about the spirit of faith is it's quick to believe. Quick to believe that when you hear the Word, you're quick to believe it. You don't sit there critically and say, you have to prove it to me, just give me the Word. And if that's the Word, and I recognize that what you're preaching and teaching is in the Word, I'm quick to believe it. You don't have to talk me into or coerce me into believing. I'm ready to believe when I know it's the Word. So we see this, that the scribes and Pharisees didn't receive. So we could say this being critical will keep you from receiving. Let's not be quick to criticize, but quick to believe. Amen. So we know that they're watching Jesus critically because they're suspecting, yeah, he may heal. They have heard report. They've probably seen some of it. They've probably seen some of this healing power in operation. And so they're coming, they're listening to him, armed to be against. And so they suspect him that he may heal. Because Jesus was always helping the people. And if people needed help, Jesus was ready to help them. Always ready. So when Jesus was with people, he met their needs. When they would cooperate with him, he would meet their needs. So they saw this man with the withered hand had a need. And they're going to see, what's Jesus going to do about this need. Let me tell you, so great is God's love, so great is the flow of love through healing, that there have been times that I can just be around someone Who? I can walk through a public place sometimes and see somebody that is suffering physically. And you can sense the love of God. You can sense healing power. Sometimes I can tangibly feel it come into my hand. What is that? That's the love of God wells up when it senses, sees a need, it wants to meet it. The healer, when he sees a need, he wants to meet it. That should be our heart and our approach. When we see a need, we want to meet that need. And they knew this about Jesus. He was looking to meet needs. He was ready to meet needs. And the scribes and Pharisees could obviously see this man with the withered hand in their synagogue, and they're wondering, what's he going to do about this obvious need? Well, I have to wonder, how long was this man with the withered hand part of their synagogue? How long had he been there without his need being met? So we're grateful when needs get met. We're not. We don't feel. What's the word? We don't feel challenged in the wrong sense. We don't feel competitive. That's the word I'm looking for. We don't feel competitive. If somebody got something through somebody else that they didn't get through me, God bless them. I'm not going to have a sense of jealousy or competitiveness rise up. And this is why they're critical, because they're not producing what this man's producing. And they. And it's showing up what they are not producing for their congregation members. So now the only way to defend that lack of fruit is to criticize it. So verse 8. I like this next phrase. But Jesus knew their thoughts. How did he know their thoughts? By the Holy Ghost. Jesus didn't know the thoughts of every person of every human when he was walking around in a man's body, body on the earth. He knew it when the Holy Ghost revealed it. See, he had to be anointed with the Holy Ghost just like us. And when it would help him bless the people, he would know the people's thoughts many times. Well, that's a gift of the Spirit. That's called a word of knowledge. That's spoken of in First Corinthians, chapter 12. So Jesus knew their thoughts not because he was a son of God, but because he was anointed with the Holy Ghost. And that is as every believer has an anointing of the Holy Ghost. And they can operate as the Spirit wills in these kinds of ways to be a blessing to people. Now, Jesus wasn't knowing their Thoughts so that he could. So that he could spotlight their failure. He was wanting to help them. He was wanting to help correct their thinking. See, notice this man with a withered hand. His great need was his body. These scribes and Pharisees, their great need was their mind. They thought wrong. And Jesus knew their thoughts. Why? He's trying to help them to quit thinking wrong. Why? Because he wants them to receive help too. He wants them to come into all that God has made theirs as covenant people. So he's wanting to help their thinking. And this is why the Holy Ghost tells them what. What the thoughts of the scribes and Pharisees are. Because that's their need is the right thinking. So he knew their thoughts. So he's going to not let their thoughts rob from this man his miracle. So what he does, he knew their thoughts. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, this is verse 8. Rise up and stand forth in the midst. So no healing has taken place. He's just invited the man to come and stand in front of a critical audience. Not everyone. We can't assume everyone was critical that day because it speaks of the scribes and Pharisees that were. But possibly the congregation was receptive. Yes. And so Jesus, he. He calls this man to come and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. And even when Jesus knew that these religious leaders were watching to accuse him, he still blessed anyway. He did not step back to protect himself from opposition. He could have not even ministered to the man and avoided that opposition. But he wasn't trying to protect himself from opposition. He was there to bring blessing. And he didn't care what opposed him. You can't be afraid. As the scripture says, don't be afraid of their faces. What a man. Jesus did what was right and good, no matter who. Who didn't like it. He was not looking for popularity. Popularity was not important to him. Bearing fruit, carrying out his father's will, that's what he wanted to do. Being a blessing. You know, dad Hagin, I love something that he said that he prayed every morning when he got up. He said, I'd pray every day. God, make me a blessing today. Isn't that a wonderful? Purpose and goal be a blessing. Jesus was not a man of weakness. He was a man of authority. And he showed himself that in the face of this opposition. So Jesus said to now here he's called for this man with the withered hand to come forward. Then he says to them, who's the them? The ones he knows their thoughts of the scribes and the Pharisees, not the congregation, but. But to the scribes and the Pharisees, where would they have been seated? Maybe they would have been up front. Maybe he would have turned his back to the congregation and turned to the scribes and Pharisees and asked them this in verse 9, then said Jesus unto them. So he would have directed this to those scribes and Pharisees. He says, I will ask you one thing. So basically he's going to make them give an answer before he does a healing. I will ask you one thing. Is it lawful on the Sabbath day to do good or to do evil? To save life or to destroy it? So before ministering. Now see, Jesus knows their thoughts, but he hasn't said anything to them about their thoughts until he says this. Is it right to do good or right to do evil? So before ministering to the man, he checks them on their wrong thinking. Why? Because wrong thinking can hinder others from receiving. And they could have sat behind Jesus giving the scowls so that the rest of the congregation is afraid to hook up with what Jesus is doing. They might stand back with their faith. They might not cooperate, so to speak, because they can see the faces of these leaders. And Jesus basically turns and shuts it down and says, this is about doing good. This is about doing good. Are you for doing good today? So Jesus brought right thinking to the people so that the scribes and Pharisees faces that would show criticism and displeasure would not rob from the congregation. So Jesus brought right thinking to the people. And these religious leaders were more interested in keeping their rules then in people being blessed and helped. They would have rather for this man to remain crippled than to have their rules violated. They didn't want Jesus healing on the Sabbath day. They were saying that healing wasn't holy enough for this holy day. So Jesus challenged that wrong thinking. Healing is holy. Why? Because it flows from a holy God. Anything that comes from God is holy and it's worthy of that holy day. Amen. So what Jesus did was he brought right thinking back to that setting. Now whether the scribes and Pharisees took that right thinking is up to them. But he was going to make sure that the congregation knew on the Sabbath day it's right to do good. Amen. So religious leaders thought that healing was not holy enough for the Sabbath day. But Jesus put a great big spotlight on it. He made it huge in that service, didn't he? That means it's right and appropriate for people to be healed. In our churches. He healed right on the Sabbath day, right in the church service. That's where healings should be happening as well as outside the church doors. It matters to God that our bodies are healed. It matters to God. It cost Jesus everything to purchase not only salvation, but the healing that's part of that salvation. Verse 10 and looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, stretch forth your hand. And he did so, and his hand was restored whole. As the others notice, Jesus looked at them boldly. And then he gave the command, stretch forth your hand. And he told him, do what you can't do. Because when you endeavor to do what you can't do, it's a withered hand. He can't stretch it forth. But when he just starts going that way, power meets his inability and turns his inability into ability. Amen. When he attempted to do what he couldn't do, God's power made him whole. Amen. His hand wasn't healed. And then Jesus said, stretch it forth. He told him to stretch it forth before there was any evidence of healing whatsoever. So in verse 11. And they were filled with madness and communed one with another. What they might do to Jesus. The religious leaders didn't rejoice. They didn't say, say praise the Lord. They would have rather this man continue to suffer. What's so important is that we have compassion on people. Amen. The religious leaders didn't rejoice. They got mad. So no matter who opposes healing, receive it anyway. No matter who opposes healing, minister it anyway. That's what Jesus did. Don't let those who don't know what you know about how good Jesus is rob others and yourself from it. He is a wonderful healer. Amen. Healing belongs to us and it pleases him when we live healed. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
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