V. 1. And He entered again into the synagog; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. V. 2. And they watched Him, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath-day, that they might accuse Him. V. 3. And He saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
Again He entered, or, as Luke relates, more exactly, on another Sabbath, Luke 6, 6, on the Sabbath following this one on which He had shown the real meaning of Sabbath and Sabbath-rest. Into a synagog He went, whether into that of Capernaum or elsewhere, is of no consequence here. But He had a purpose, an object, in mind. For there, in the synagog, as one of the worshiping congregation, was a man that had the hand, the right hand, withered, as the result of injury by accident or disease. He was deprived entirely of its use. It seems that the man was not here by chance, but had been induced to come by the enemies of Christ, for they were watching very closely whether Jesus would on the Sabbath heal him.
Note: Jesus does not permit the apparent hatred of the Pharisees and scribes to keep Him from attending the services of the synagog after His custom; He went for His own edification. Also, the Pharisees felt that the difference between the teaching of Christ and their own dead traditions was an essential difference, that they would have to change their entire mode of speaking and living if there were to be harmony between them and this new Teacher; and this they refused to do. They had even now determined to find some way of silencing or removing this objectionable speaker of truth. The purpose of their watchfulness in this case was to find some accusation against Him before the government, if possible, before the Church at any rate.
Jesus knew their thoughts, even before they spoke them, Matt. 12, 10. His course of action He had determined on at once. The lesson He wanted to teach at this time was to be an impressive one. For that reason He said to the man with the withered hand: "Arise toward the center." He wanted him to be standing in the middle, before the entire congregation, as a fitting object of demonstration.