Then he said to that man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored, like the other.
In this episode Jesus performs the healing by the power of his word, without any physical action, thus revealing that God’s will is not confined by outward rules. The command “Stretch out your hand” calls for a response of faith from the man who could not do it on his own, and it is precisely through his obedience that the healing is manifested. In this way Christ shows that the true meaning of the Sabbath is not violated, because what was done is not labor, but life-giving mercy. This word and deed together confirm that God’s law was given not to restrain a person, but to restore him, and that compassion, goodness, and a person’s salvation are greater than formal law-keeping.