Philemon: the restoration of a withered hand.

[VictoryinJesus]

My husband and I were talking about this yesterday. I have been looking at Luke 6:3-11 which is one of my favorite miracles of Jesus Christ …the restoration of a withered hand. My husband has been reading Philemon. As we talked together about the two different places we were thinking on…it struck how they compliment one another. Christ restores a withered hand making it whole, healed, restored same as the other hand.

Make him equal.

Do you see the miracle of “the restoration of a withered hand “ happening in Philemon?
Jesus restores a withered hand, healing it as whole as the other. Luke 6:3-11 …And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. [8] But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. [9] Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? [10] And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. [11] And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.


A withered hand restored whole, made equal and as profitable as the whole hand.

Philemon 1:10-19 I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds: [11] Which in time past was to you unprofitable, but now profitable to you and to me: [12] Whom I have sent again: you therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels: [13] Whom I would have retained with me, that in your stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel: [14] But without your mind would I do nothing; that your benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly. [15] For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that you should receive him for ever; [16] Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto you, both in the flesh, and in the Lord? [17] If you count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself. [18] If he hath wronged you, or owes you anything, put that on my account; [19] I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: however I do not say to you how you owe unto me even your own self besides.

 

[Mr E]

For just as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body—though many—are one body, so too is Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. Whether Jews or Greeks or slaves or free, we were all made to drink of the one Spirit. For in fact the body is not a single member, but many. If the foot says, “Since I am not a hand, I am not part of the body,” it does not lose its membership in the body because of that. And if the ear says, “Since I am not an eye, I am not part of the body,” it does not lose its membership in the body because of that. If the whole body were an eye, what part would do the hearing? If the whole were an ear, what part would exercise the sense of smell? But as a matter of fact, God has placed each of the members in the body just as he decided. If they were all the same member, where would the body be? So now there are many members, but one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you,” nor in turn can the head say to the foot, “I do not need you.” On the contrary, those members that seem to be weaker are essential, and those members we consider less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our unpresentable members are clothed with dignity, but our presentable members do not need this. Instead, God has blended together the body, giving greater honor to the lesser member, so that there may be no division in the body, but the members may have mutual concern for one another. If one member suffers, everyone suffers with it. If a member is honored, all rejoice with it.

Now you are Christ’s body, and each of you is a member of it.