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The Desire of Ages
save life was to kill. Thus Jesus met the rabbis on their own ground.
“But they held their peace. And when He had looked round about on
them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, He
saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out:
and his hand was restored whole as the other.”
Mark 3:4, 5
.
When questioned, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days?” Jesus
answered, “What man shall there be among you, that 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.”
Matthew 12:10-
12
.
The spies dared not answer Christ in the presence of the multitude,
for fear of involving themselves in difficulty. They knew that He had
spoken the truth. Rather than violate their traditions, they would leave
a man to suffer, while they would relieve a brute because of the loss
to the owner if it were neglected. Thus greater care was shown for a
dumb animal than for man, who is made in the image of God. This
illustrates the working of all false religions. They originate in man’s
desire to exalt himself above God, but they result in degrading man
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below the brute. Every religion that wars against the sovereignty of
God defrauds man of the glory which was his at the creation, and
which is to be restored to him in Christ. Every false religion teaches
its adherents to be careless of human needs, sufferings, and rights. The
gospel places a high value upon humanity as the purchase of the blood
of Christ, and it teaches a tender regard for the wants and woes of man.
The Lord says, “I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even
a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.”
Isaiah 13:12
.
When Jesus turned upon the Pharisees with the question whether
it was lawful on the Sabbath day to do good or to do evil, to save
life or to kill, He confronted them with their own wicked purposes.
They were hunting His life with bitter hatred, while He was saving
life and bringing happiness to multitudes. Was it better to slay upon
the Sabbath, as they were planning to do, than to heal the afflicted, as
He had done? Was it more righteous to have murder in the heart upon
God’s holy day than love to all men, which finds expression in deeds
of mercy?
In the healing of the withered hand, Jesus condemned the custom
of the Jews, and left the fourth commandment standing as God had