Then saith he to the man
That is, after he had looked round about upon them, to observe
their countenances; and what answer they would make to his
arguments; and with anger for their inhumanity and cruelty; being
grieved for the hardness of their hearts, i.e. their
unmercifulness to their fellow creatures, and the stupidity and
blindness of their minds, being ignorant of the Scriptures, and
of the sabbath, the nature, use, and Lord of it; which things are
observed by the Evangelist Mark; then, in a commanding
authoritative way, almighty power going along with his word, he
says to the man who stood forth before him, and the Pharisees,
stretch forth thine hand,
which was before contracted and shrivelled up;
and he stretched it forth
with all the ease imaginable, and was, not only able to do this,
but to make use of it any way;
for it was restored whole like as the other;
his left hand, which had never been damaged. This was an instance
of Christ's power; a proof of the lawfulness of healing on the
sabbath day; and a rebuke to the Pharisees for their cruelty and
uncharitableness. This man was an emblem of the inability of men
to do anything that is spiritually good, and of the power and
efficacy of divine grace to enable persons to stretch out their
hands, and do things which they of themselves are not equal to.