Matthew 12:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They do not ask that they may learn, but that they may accuse Him; as it follows, that they might accuse him. Though the action itself would have been enough, yet they sought occasion against Him in His words also, thus providing for themselves greater matter of complaint.

Many people today still possess hardened hearts, characterized by a lack of compassion and generosity. Yet when the message of the Gospel resounds to them, they extend their hands for aid, despite the Pharisees, who are arrogant spirits, separating themselves from us through their animosity and wishing for our hands to remain closed to those in need.

It might have been supposed that the matter of the ears of corn, and this cure following, had been done on the same day, for it is mentioned to have been the sabbath day in both cases, had not Luke shewn us that they were on different days. So that what Matthew says, And when he had passed thence, he came into their syna-gogue, is to be taken as that He did not enter into the synagogue till He had passed thence; but whether several days intervened or He went thither straight is not expressed in this Gospel, so that place is given to the relation of Luke, who tells of the healing of this kind of palsy on another sabbath.

Because by fair instances He had vindicated His disciples from the charge of breaking the sabbath, the Pharisees seek to bring false accusation against Himself; whence it is said, And passing thence, he came into their synagogue.

He restored it by issuing a command to strike them, demonstrating His divine authority. Those who fail to act justly, in other words, those lacking in virtue, possess a withered right hand.

For the things that had gone before were said and done in the open air, and after this He entered the synagogue.

Jesus teaches and works chiefly on the sabbath, not only on account of the spiritual sabbath, but on account of the gathering together of the people, seeking that all should be saved.

He then said to the man, "Extend your hand." The man, trusting in His divine power, obeyed the command and reached out his hand, which became as whole as the other. The adversaries of Jesus were completely humiliated. Christ did not lay a finger on the afflicted man, nor did He instruct him to do anything with the restored hand. He simply spoke three words: "Stretch out your hand," and it was made well.

During the following two Sabbaths, the significance of the Sabbath and the sacred nature of its rest, which had been somewhat obscured due to new disputes raised by the Pharisees, was revealed in greater depth and clarified more definitively. The first occasion involved the Lord's disciples, who, as they journeyed from Jerusalem, passed through a field and, feeling hungry with no other provisions, plucked the heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate. On another occasion, He completely healed a man with a withered hand in the synagogue merely by speaking a word, without any other action required. This last event took place in Galilee.

On another Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in a synagogue. There was a man present whose right hand was withered. The scribes and Pharisees were closely observing Him to see if He would violate the Sabbath by healing this afflicted individual. Not only did they watch silently, but, as Matthew notes, they also sought to ensnare Him with a challenging question. The Lord, after summoning the man with the withered hand to stand in their midst, asked the Pharisees, "Which of you, having a sheep that falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lift it out?" He further questioned, "Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath, or to do harm?

To demonstrate to them the need to perform good deeds on the Sabbath, He swiftly restored the withered hand of the man through a simple command.

He regarded them with righteous anger; divine wrath surged in His heart, illuminated His countenance, infused His actions, and echoed in His voice as He deliberately surveyed the faces twisted with malicious stubbornness, condemning their wickedness and moral decay, ignorance and pride. However, restraining this profound and intense emotion, He turned to perform an act of compassion and spoke to the afflicted man: ‘Stretch forth thy hand.’ To the astonishment of all those present, he extended it, and it was restored to perfect health. In this way, Christ not only confronted His adversaries with words but also through a remarkable act of mercy, which further glorified the Messiah.

He extended his hand, undoubtedly believing in the miraculous might of the Savior, and through this faith, he was restored. In the same way, every sinner who earnestly follows the Lord's command, even when it appears unachievable—as it might seem implausible for a withered hand to be stretched out—will be granted forgiveness and healing.

The self-serving duplicity of those who were believed to uphold the law, yet violated it to protect their own interests, stirred the pure heart of the gentle and compassionate Jesus with righteous anger. He regarded them with wrath, not as an uncontrolled emotional response but as a stance of unwavering truth against the falsehoods and spiritual vacuity of Pharisaic ethics, coupled with sorrow for the hardening of the hearts of those deemed righteous. As noted by St. John Chrysostom regarding the man with the withered hand, Jesus desired to heal them; however, recognizing their condition was beyond remedy, He focused on the present task and performed a miracle effortlessly with a mere command. He instructed the man to stretch forth his hand; the afflicted individual obeyed, surely with faith in the all-powerful Lord, and his hand was restored to health, equal to his other hand.