This week John Ortberg, well-known author and pastor, taught from a story of healing and restoration in the gospels. Jesus was being tested about healing on the Sabbath, believing it was against their man-made rules. But Jesus knows God’s power is not constricted by human laws, and chose this time to demonstrate his power in our human weakness. Jesus called out a man who had a withered hand, which would be a life sentence of shame because of how it limited his participation in daily activities. Jesus drew attention to the man’s shame and weakness because it was what controlled his life up until this point. Then he asked him to stretch out his hand. What God asks us to do, is precisely what we cannot do. Shame can be hidden or healed but not both. If we keep our weaknesses and failures to ourselves, we cannot be healed, we cannot be fully loved. You can only be loved to the extent that you are known. You can only be fully loved if you are fully known. The church, our brothers and sisters in Christ ought to be the first place we can disclose our sins, our shame, our weaknesses. Some of us are better at hiding our withered hands, and until we are ready to show it, we cannot be restored. Stretch out your hand. Be known, be loved, be healed.