Healing

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Forgiving Hands

There once was a man with a withered hand. If it were to tell a story, what would it speak of? The greed of idolatry, perhaps, the grasp of stolen goods, hands clenched in anger when reproved for sin, Jeroboam‘s cry for God to heal him? Or maybe none of the above.

I imagine that he kept his hands inside his pockets whenever he entered the synagogue, in order to conceal the defect from all the finely dressed and well behaved who came inside to pay their due respects.

I see the man stand alone in the synagogue, trying to hide.

Then comes Jesus to the platform.

He opens up the scroll, then looks straight at him.

“Stretch out your hand!” says Jesus.

Silence rules before all-knowing eyes. The man looks around, and sees that there is no place to hide. He hesitates, embarrassed.

“Stretch out your hand.”

He humbly obeys.

“No, not the good one. The withered one.”

The poor man gulps. He has no choice. With fear and trembling he extends the hand that has never held within its grasp anything but shame and condemnation.

I see the right hand of the one who would bear nails in His own hands, two sinless hands from which God’s own pure blood would atone for all the deadness in men’s hearts, I see this hand reach out and offer rivers of abundant life.

Illuminating revelation dawns as light meets darkness, touching hand to hand.

The one who is the Vine (or vein) of life,
imparts a blood transfusion into the man's dry veins.

The man beholds the hand that once was withered become as fresh as flakes of pure white snow, whole just like the other.

I see the crowd, some faces clothed with awe, and others wrinkled with a scowl of hate. Shriveled are they who hold their own hands back when offered the refreshing gift of life.

Repent ye all, and understand.

No money and no gifts have we to give Him, no more than withered hands to put in His. Those great forgiving hands, now resurrected, poured out His life for us that we might live.

With upraised hands our praise we offer Him.

Let us in that state abide.

Scriptures: Luke 6:6-11; John 15:5-7

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