Luke 6:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, "Come and stand here." And he rose and stood there.

NIV: But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Get up and stand in front of everyone." So he got up and stood there.

NASB: 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.

CSB: But he knew their thoughts and told the man with the shriveled hand, "Get up and stand here." So he got up and stood there.

NLT: But Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, 'Come and stand in front of everyone.' So the man came forward.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Arise and stand here.” And he arose and stood.

The Pharisees are lying in wait for Jesus to break the Mosaic law. They are in synagogue and Jesus is teaching. A man with a withered hand is listening. If Jesus heals the man, He will have broken the Sabbath in view of many witnesses. The Pharisees don't realize their position is precarious.

First, Jesus knows what they're thinking. Much like the way they quietly judged Jesus for blasphemy when He told the paralyzed man his sins were forgiven (Luke 5:20–22), Jesus perceives their machinations "in his spirit" (Mark 2:8).

Second, Jesus knows this application of the Sabbath law is their own interpretation of the Mosaic law, not the Mosaic law as God provided. The Pharisees' oral law forbids anyone from intentionally straightening a limb because it is too similar to the work of construction. The Mosaic law, itself, isn't nearly so specific.

Third, Jesus knows the heart of God. God gave Israel the Sabbath as a blessing of rest. He did not intend for the Sabbath to be used to hurt or even to avoid doing good to another; "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). If a person can save a life on the Sabbath—which the Pharisees agreed to—a person can surely heal an ailment (Luke 6:9).

Luke 6:6–11 includes the last of six controversial actions which put Jesus at odds with the religious leaders. This passage on healing and the previous on eating (Luke 6:1–5) focus on the true purpose of the Sabbath. It is not to worship God with strict, suffocating rules but to rest and restore—even to heal. Next, Jesus will select twelve men out of a group who have decided to follow Him instead of the Pharisees. This story is also recorded in Matthew 12:9–14 and Mark 3:1–6. Luke 13:10–17 tells the story of Jesus healing a woman on the Sabbath, and Luke 14:1–6 gives an account of Jesus healing another man on the sabbath, at the house of a Pharisee.

Luke 6 contains two main sections of teaching and calls to discipleship. Luke 6:1–16 continues the pattern of Luke 5. The two ways in which Jesus sets aside tradition—this time by taking authority over the Sabbath—are paired with His call for the Twelve disciples. Luke 6:17–49 records Jesus' teaching on the ''level place,'' or His ''Sermon on the Plain,'' and a call to a crowd for general discipleship. Much of this material has parallels in Matthew 5 through 7, but it's not clear if the two accounts are of the same event. As a travelling teacher, Christ likely gave the same general message multiple times.

Luke 6 completes Jesus' call for disciples and followers that started in Luke 5. Luke 5:1—6:16 consists of three calls for disciples, each paired with two revolutionary teachings about Jesus' authority that increasingly infuriate the religious leaders. Luke 6:17–49 continues the theme with a general call for followers and a description of their responsibilities. In Luke 7:1—8:3, Jesus interacts with the other: Gentiles, women, and even the dead. This is followed by another general call (Luke 8:4–21), a series of miracles (Luke 8:22—9:17), and a final call for the Twelve to follow Him even more deeply (Luke 9:18–50).

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.