Anger and grief (Mark 3:1-6)

Jesus is headed to the synagogue on the Sabbath and he is being set up.  Walking right into a trap!  It would appear that a man has been positioned there with a withered hand.  The Pharisees hope Jesus will heal him by breaking the Sabbath laws so they can prosecute him.  How easy it would have been for Jesus to ignore the man. The man doesn't come over to Jesus.  He doesn't ask for healing.  The man was likely in on the plot.  He demonstrates no faith - no desire to be healed - no recognition of Jesus as Messiah.  Nothing!  Why doesn't Jesus just walk on by?  Why doesn't he keep the peace?

But Jesus doesn't.  He heals him.  And yet, there is no mention of the man being grateful or thankful.  He doesn't testify to Jesus' great power and compassion.  He doesn't try to stop those who want to hurt Jesus.  Instead those lying in wait for Jesus rush off to try to figure out a way to destroy Jesus' ministry.

At Warren Wilson College's graduation ceremony last year, the commencement speaker challenged the students to go change the world despite the fact that the world would be indifferent and even hostile to their efforts.  The people in the synagogue that morning care little that Jesus is capable of transforming their world.  If he isn't going to do it their way - by their rules - then forget him.  He might as well be dead.  So they set out to get rid of him.

Jesus responds to their actions with anger and grief.  It hurts to love someone who doesn't understand the depth to which you care for them.  Jesus loved the man with the withered hand.  He love the Pharisees that demanded Jesus do things their way.  And they felt nothing but hate toward Jesus because he was taking away the need for following their rules - their power over others.  Do we make Jesus play by our rules or are we willing to let him love us the way he wants to love us?  How would it change your life if you opened it to letting Jesus do things his way?

Mark 3:1-6 Again Jesus entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Come forward." 4 Then he said to them, "Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent. 5 He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

**** Other Gospels...


Luke 6:6-11 ⁶ On another sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. ⁷ The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. ⁸ Even though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Come and stand here." He got up and stood there. ⁹ Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?" ¹⁰ After looking around at all of them, he said to him, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was restored. ¹¹ But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Matthew 12:9-14 ⁹ He left that place and entered their synagogue; ¹⁰ a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, "Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?" so that they might accuse him. ¹¹ He said to them, "Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out? ¹² How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath." ¹³ Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other. ¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.