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Explanation for:
Matthew
12
:
13
Then he saith to the man: Stretch forth thy hand; and he stretched it forth, and it was restored to health even as the other.
11
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"In the Gospel utilized by the Nazarenes and Ebionites, which has recently been translated from Hebrew into Greek and is often referred to as the genuine Gospel of Matthew, there is an account of a man with a withered hand described as a builder. He appears to have implored assistance with the following plea: \\"I was a builder, who through the toil of my hands earned my livelihood. O Jesus, I beseech You to restore my health, so that I may no longer have to humbly beg for sustenance.\\" Prior to the arrival of the Savior in the Jewish synagogue, the man’s hand was withered, and the work of God was not evident through it; however, upon His arrival on earth, it was revitalized in the apostles, who came to recognize faith and returned to their previous labors."},{"author-name":"Hilarius of Poitiers","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88cb92f12b3278598f946_Hilarius%20of%20Poitiers.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"This healing is rightly attributed to the Lord. After returning from the sown field, where the apostles had already partaken of the bounty of His provision, He entered the synagogue, seeking to prepare laborers for His harvest, many of whom later joined the apostles. Thus, healing is realized in the man with the withered hand, for he was unable to present salvation; his hand ceased to function, and the part of his body that was active and engaged had withered away. The Lord instructed him to extend his hand, and it was restored, becoming like the other. All healing is rooted in His word, and the hand transformed to resemble the others mirrors the ministry of the apostles in the pursuit of salvation. He instructs that the Pharisees should not bear ill will toward the apostles for the work of human redemption, for they too can have their hands restored for the same ministry, if they possess faith."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"Many people today still possess hardened hearts, characterized by a lack of compassion and generosity. Yet when the message of the Gospel resounds to them, they extend their hands for aid, despite the Pharisees, who are arrogant spirits, separating themselves from us through their animosity and wishing for our hands to remain closed to those in need."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"He restored it by issuing a command to strike them, demonstrating His divine authority. Those who fail to act justly, in other words, those lacking in virtue, possess a withered right hand."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The self-serving duplicity of those who were believed to uphold the law, yet violated it to protect their own interests, stirred the pure heart of the gentle and compassionate Jesus with righteous anger. He regarded them with wrath, not as an uncontrolled emotional response but as a stance of unwavering truth against the falsehoods and spiritual vacuity of Pharisaic ethics, coupled with sorrow for the hardening of the hearts of those deemed righteous. As noted by St. John Chrysostom regarding the man with the withered hand, Jesus desired to heal them; however, recognizing their condition was beyond remedy, He focused on the present task and performed a miracle effortlessly with a mere command. He instructed the man to stretch forth his hand; the afflicted individual obeyed, surely with faith in the all-powerful Lord, and his hand was restored to health, equal to his other hand."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"He extended his hand, undoubtedly believing in the miraculous might of the Savior, and through this faith, he was restored. In the same way, every sinner who earnestly follows the Lord's command, even when it appears unachievable—as it might seem implausible for a withered hand to be stretched out—will be granted forgiveness and healing."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"He then said to the man, \\"Extend your hand.\\" The man, trusting in His divine power, obeyed the command and reached out his hand, which became as whole as the other. The adversaries of Jesus were completely humiliated. Christ did not lay a finger on the afflicted man, nor did He instruct him to do anything with the restored hand. He simply spoke three words: \\"Stretch out your hand,\\" and it was made well."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"To demonstrate to them the need to perform good deeds on the Sabbath, He swiftly restored the withered hand of the man through a simple command."},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"He regarded them with righteous anger; divine wrath surged in His heart, illuminated His countenance, infused His actions, and echoed in His voice as He deliberately surveyed the faces twisted with malicious stubbornness, condemning their wickedness and moral decay, ignorance and pride. However, restraining this profound and intense emotion, He turned to perform an act of compassion and spoke to the afflicted man: ‘Stretch forth thy hand.’ To the astonishment of all those present, he extended it, and it was restored to perfect health. In this way, Christ not only confronted His adversaries with words but also through a remarkable act of mercy, which further glorified the Messiah."},{"author-name":"Bogolepow D.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"On another Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in a synagogue. There was a man present whose right hand was withered. The scribes and Pharisees were closely observing Him to see if He would violate the Sabbath by healing this afflicted individual. Not only did they watch silently, but, as Matthew notes, they also sought to ensnare Him with a challenging question. The Lord, after summoning the man with the withered hand to stand in their midst, asked the Pharisees, \\"Which of you, having a sheep that falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lift it out?\\" He further questioned, \\"Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath, or to do harm? To save a life, or to destroy it?\\" With a gaze filled with righteous anger and sorrow for the hardness of their hearts, the Lord instructed the man to stretch out his hand, and it was restored to health. The Pharisees, who had already faced considerable embarrassment in their attempts to confront Jesus, experienced a particularly stinging defeat in this instance; their assertion that healing should not occur on the Sabbath was publicly refuted by Christ, not only through His words but also through the miraculous act of restoring the man’s hand. In response, the Pharisees conspired to take action against Jesus. According to Mark, they convened with the Herodians, supporters of the Herodian dynasty. This alliance illustrates the depth of the Pharisees' anger toward Christ; despite their disdain for the Herodians, who represented a foreign rule and were thus despised by the Pharisees, they joined forces to confront a shared adversary."},{"author-name":"Alexander Gorsky","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8884037c1e1c51e1332e2_Alexander%20Gorsky.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"During the following two Sabbaths, the significance of the Sabbath and the sacred nature of its rest, which had been somewhat obscured due to new disputes raised by the Pharisees, was revealed in greater depth and clarified more definitively. The first occasion involved the Lord's disciples, who, as they journeyed from Jerusalem, passed through a field and, feeling hungry with no other provisions, plucked the heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate. On another occasion, He completely healed a man with a withered hand in the synagogue merely by speaking a word, without any other action required. This last event took place in Galilee. \\n\\nIn defending His disciples’ actions and His healing of the man with the withered hand, the Lord cited instances of holy individuals breaching certain legal observances when faced with dire circumstances. For example, David, fleeing from Saul, sought the showbread from Abiathar and shared it with his companions (1 Sam. 21:1). He noted that the Pharisees themselves violated Sabbath rest by rescuing animals that had fallen into pits, and even the priests were required to perform sacrifices in the temple, thus not strictly adhering to the law of rest. Furthermore, the Lord emphasized that He is greater than the temple. Therefore, by following this greater command, His disciples did not violate the temple, which is the temporary dwelling of God and His laws. \\n\\nMoreover, the Lord reminded them of God’s words through the prophet: \\"I desire mercy, and not sacrifice\\" - showing that compassion towards the man with the withered hand is more important than adhering to a passive observance of the Sabbath. It should not be forgotten that the Sabbath is made for humanity, not humanity for the Sabbath. As with any time, the Sabbath is meant for performing good deeds rather than evil ones; neglecting to carry out a good action for the benefit of others falls under this understanding. Finally, the Lord reiterated what He had declared in Jerusalem: that the Son of Man is also the Lord of the Sabbath."}]}
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