All Riled Up!

Scripture: Luke 6:6-10 On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. 7The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. 8But 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. Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?" He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 11But they were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Observation: Here once again, we see the Lord of lords and the King of kings getting all these religious people all riled up and shows us a direct cause that he was hung on the cross. Jesus went around turning the whole world on its head and tearing up traditions and worthless rules and this really made a good many folks mad. They weren't angry that he healed the man's arm (why would they?) They were angry because he broke one of the "rules" to do it. This was radical and being radical leads to the cross.

Application: Jesus is still looking for some people who are willing to be radical in His name. To flip this world on its head and go against what the world says is right and do what Christ would have done. It's radical, it's dangerous and it leads to death on a cross. However, that is what Christ has called us to do...isn't it?

Lord, give me the strength to be a follower in your army. To be radical and loving in ways that are dangerous and might get me killed. Lord, empower me to lead others down that same path. Not just tell them to go but to go before them, leading the way. In Christ.