The Man With The Withered Hand, The Church With A Withered Plan, The Power Of The Miracle-Working Man

Matthew 12:9-14 – “And when He was departed thence, He went into their synagogue: And, behold, there was a man who had his hand withered. And they asked Him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days? That they might accuse Him. And He said unto them, What man shall there be among you, who shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath Day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath Days. Then said He to the man, Stretch forth your hand. And He stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against Him, how they might destroy Him.”

Matthew, Chapter Twelve, portrays to us the animosity and hatred of the religious leaders of Israel intensifying toward the Lord. It is in this Chapter that the Lord would give instruction regarding blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, of which many of the religious leaders of Israel were guilty. In Matthew, Chapter 16, Verse 6, the Lord would warn the Disciples to “Beware of the leaven (false doctrine) of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.”

WHY DID THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF ISRAEL HATE THE LORD?

Simply put, the religious leaders of Israel were disciples of Satan. Though a small number of them would accept the Lord, the vast majority of them were nothing less than Satan’s ministers. I know some may feel my statement harsh, however, the truth of it is born out of the fact that it was these same leaders that persuaded Rome to crucify Christ.

By the time the Lord began His Public Ministry, these religious leaders had become so self-righteous, introducing their own man-made laws and traditions, causing them to be so blind that they could crucify the Lord in the name of the Lord! This is the result of religion. The only thing religion can produce is Law and self-righteousness. Never forget that religion fears what it can’t control, and only supports that which it can control. That was true then, and it’s true today. Religion and religious leaders are the greatest enemies to that which is truly of God. I’ll take it even further and boldly state that religion and religious leaders are Satan’s greatest evil in the world today. Religion is not of the Lord, and man-elected religious leaders are not true disciples of the Lord. Now don’t interpret me as saying that an individual who holds an office in a denomination is an evil person. The fact is that some are and some aren’t. One must look at the direction an organization is heading to determine if it’s Spiritual or religious. If it is headed in the right direction, meaning that what the organization is saying and doing is truly Spiritual, then its leadership is right. However, if what is being promoted, proclaimed, and approved is unscriptural, then the leadership has lost its way.

THEIR SYNAGOGUE

Verse 9 says, “He (the Lord) went into ‘their’ synagogue.” Notice the language of the Holy Spirit. He makes it plain that the synagogue, the Jews place of worship, was no longer acceptable as a true place of worship. He didn’t claim it as His Own, but instead had rejected it.

If this was the condition of the church during the First Advent of Christ, what does it say about the church at the Eve of His Second Advent! I don’t know the total number of churches in America. I do know that there are approximately 100,000 churches that identify themselves as either Charismatic or Pentecostal. And when one considers all the other denominations and fellowships that come under the heading of “Protestant,” I’m sure the total number is quite staggering. What would the Holy Spirit say about them? Would He accept them or reject them?

While one cannot put a number on them, the fact is, some are truly the Lord’s House, with the vast majority rejected. “How can I say that?” you may ask. Well, it’s really very simple. Just look at what they believe, what they proclaim, what they accept, and what they reject. Matthew 7:13-14 are good Verses to use. Jesus said, “Enter you in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it.”

Let me put it in a way that is quite amusing. Colonel Harland Sanders, of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame, got Saved not long before he died. We were in Louisville, Kentucky for a crusade many years ago, and the Colonel came to the Sunday Service. We invited him on the platform and asked him to greet the people. He stepped up to the microphone with his long white hair, goatee, white suit, and black string tie. He looked over the vast congregation and made the most profound statement. He said, “There is only one True God, and thousands of religions in the world. Common sense tells you some of those birds aren’t right.” The Colonel said it right.

Does the Lord claim your church? That’s a question you must ask yourself. The way to know the answer is to ask this question, “Does my church have the earmarks of the Book of Acts, which are souls Saved, Believers baptized with the Holy Spirit, the sick healed, demon spirits cast out, bondages broken, and sound Biblical Doctrine preached?” If this defines your church, praise God. If not, why are you there?

THE MAN WITH THE WITHERED HAND

When Jesus stepped into the synagogue, he encountered a man with a need. He needed a miracle of healing. Tradition says the man had been a mason. It is said his exact petition to the Lord went as follows: “I was a mason earning my livelihood with my own hands. I pray thee, Jesus, restore me to health in order that I may not with shame beg my bread.” If this was truly what he spoke, I can feel the need of that man’s heart, the plea, the desperation of his condition.

This man’s physical condition portrays to us three great Spiritual Truths:

1. It portrays the Spiritual condition of Israel, “Withered.” It had ceased true fellowship with the Lord, and now was nothing more than “their religion,” “their synagogue,” “their doctrine.”

2. His condition portrays to us the world and its “withered” condition, because of sin and rebellion. The world stumbles and staggers in darkness. This world is blind, lame, and withered, all because of sin.

3. His condition also serves as an example that no matter our love and consecration to the Lord, life is sometimes cruel. Circumstances come our way and we find ourselves in a “withered” condition. Often as I read letters and e-mails sent to the Ministry, I can literally feel the hurt, the suffering, and the pain of the writer. They are facing a mountain and they need a miracle.

THE CHURCH WITH A WITHERED PLAN

This poor soul was in a church, but the church could not help him because that church was in the same condition as the man, “withered.” Too many churches in America are “withered,” they have forsaken the Cross, they have forsaken the Holy Spirit, they have forsaken the Word of God, for the plans and schemes of man. They have opted for the wisdom of man, and not the Wisdom of Jesus Christ. The absence of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God makes the church a fertile field for demon spirits, bringing in false doctrine.

Psychology is the new altar, whereby, the majority of the church now worships. Calvary has been pushed aside. The Message and the Power of Jesus Christ has been relegated to the dust bins of history past. They say modern man faces problems that are unique to the time that we live in, problems that the Gospel, and the Bible, doesn’t address itself to. My answer to that is this, sickness, whether emotional or physical was just as real in the Lord’s day as it is now. Bondages, oppression, poverty, whatever needs you can come up with were the same then as today. The solution then was Jesus Christ, and the solution today is Jesus Christ.

THE POWER OF THE MIRACLE-WORKING MAN

This is the answer. Christ and His Miracle-working Power was this poor man’s answer, and it is your answer. No matter how withered the circumstances of your life may be, Jesus Christ is the Miracle-working Man. Jesus Christ has the Power to change your withered circumstances. He can save, heal, restore, and provide whatever it is you need.

In Verse 13 the Text says that Christ “spoke to the man.” He is speaking right now to you through this article. He said, “Stretch forth your hand.” He is saying to you believe Me, have Faith, bring your need to Me, “Stretch forth your hand.” The Verse ends with these words, “And it was restored whole, like as the other.” The word “whole” means every part of the hand and its abilities were completely restored. Stretch forth your hand today and let the Lord restore what has been lost.

There was a man with a withered hand, in a church with a withered plan, but praise the Lord, there was the Power of the Miracle-working Man!

Your Evangelist, Donnie Swaggart