Matthew 12:9-14 "And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: And, behold, there was a man which 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, 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. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine 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."
Most of us have heard the adage “No good deed goes unpunished.” The scripture tells us that the hearts of men are only evil always (Genesis 6:5). Men, left to their own devices, do not seek the good of others unless it benefits them in some way. The Pharisees did not care about the man with the withered hand, nor did they genuinely care about how they kept the sabbath days: their desire was to discredit Jesus.
Jesus points out to them their hypocrisy because they would value the welfare of their livestock on the sabbath above the welfare of one of their neighbors who was having a difficult time. No matter what we try to accomplish, everything is harder if you can only use one hand. Any of us who have ever had surgery on our hand or wrist can attest to this simple truth. Jesus also taught them a valuable lesson that day: there is no law against doing well (showing kindness).
Jesus knew what these self-righteous Jews had in their hearts. He not only condemned them with His words. He then proved by His actions that doing the right thing is always lawful. In healing this man, Jesus was manifesting the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). There is no law against the fruit of the Spirit.
Dear ones, it is never wrong to do what is right. Not everyone will applaud you for it. Some will actively seek to condemn you. Remember that we are the servants of Jesus Christ. If they hated Him for doing good and speaking the truth in love, they will also hate you for it. Do good and speak the truth in love anyway!