Be A Game Changer

WandaJean Jones

Luke 6: 1-11
King James Version (KJV)
6 And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the
corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in
their hands.
2 And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to
do on the sabbath days?
3 And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did,
when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;
4 How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave
also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests
alone?
5 And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue
and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath
day; that they might find an accusation against him.
8 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.
9 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?
10 And looking round about 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.
11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they
might do to Jesus.

An opportunity arises to be a game changer. Do you take it? Or, let the moment pass
you by? Jesus sets the ultimate example in this lesson. As the patient and teaching
leader He is, Jesus begins to level set with his followers, and help them get a full
understanding of the Word of God. It comes along with a personal challengeCan
you step up to really make a difference when you have the skill and ability to do so?
Its ever so easy to talk the talk. But, when youre going against a status quo and
challenging commonplace, things begin to feel a little less comfortable for us. Jesus,
the walking Word of God, knew what the law was on the Sabbath. But, because He
didnt flaunt His High Priestly knowledge in a boastful way, the Scribes and the
Pharisees felt as if they were in a position to teach the Teacher.
Side note: Why do people who dont like you seem to follow you around, picking at
you, and waiting to see how they will make you fall [Luke 6:7]? Watch the people
who are around you. Be sure that they arent there to capitalize on your faults, to
redistribute the words that you share in confidence, and for those who are
entertained when they think you have fallen.
The man with the withered hand was definitely in the right place, at the right time!
Researchers believed that this man could have been a plant by the Scribes and the
Pharisees, to trap Jesus. It was believed that if a person was born with a disability,
that God must have cursed them or their family (read http://dsqsds.org/article/view/988/1164 for more information).
Side note: The Bible encourages us to watch AND pray [Mark 13:33]! Not everyone
who comes to church is there to worship! As societal leaders, the Scribes and the
Pharisees should have cared enough about the disabled man to get him to Jesus any
day of the week, so that he could be made whole. Using the disabled man as bait
proves that, once again, they reeked of impure motives. Make sure that when youre
at church, youre not concerned with seeing whos there or what will happen. Church
should be the place where youll find healing, love, and spiritual refreshment.
Knowing the thoughts of the religious leaders, Jesus did it up big! He asked the man
with the withered hand to stand up and step out in the midst of everyone. So they
would know that He was making a specific point, He asked the Scribes and the
Pharisees, Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or
to destroy it?. Jesus was yet teaching them, despite their unwillingness to submit to
love.

Side note: Not everything is black or white. These spiritual leaders took the law quite
literally. Dont do anything on the Sabbath meant just that to them. Jesus, once
again, went forth in fulfilling the law and bringing the depth of understanding with it.
If you have the ability to do something good, to help another being, to make a
difference in your family, church, or communityDO IT! Not doing it is more of a sin,
than doing it.
The man with the withered hand received his breakthrough. He had two perfectly
good hands. Naturally, he was now able to rejoin society and work to support his
family. Now that he no longer had to be ashamed, he could find himself a wife, and
start a family of his own. He would be able to pass down the goodness of Jesus Christ
to his seed and beyond. This would seems like a good place to praise the Lord, right?
Not according to the Scribes and the Pharisees. They were furious! In the words of
the late Mother Barbara Jean Johnson, Aint nobody mad but the devil! People
who have ill motives, lead very sad and negative lives. There is no pleasing them.
Instead of allowing their traditions and rank in life triumph over Jesus, He stepped up
and said, Ill Be a Gamechanger.
God has given you the same power. As you live your life, embrace opportunities to
flip the script and allow Gods glory to shine through youeven if its not traditional.
When you arrive to your Sabbath, you can stand before God faultless and blameless
knowing that when He asked you to use your several gifts and abilities to bless His
name, you stepped up as a Gamechanger!