Withered Hand

Jesus entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched Jesus closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him. He said to the man with the withered hand, "Come up here before us." Then he said to the Pharisees, "Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" But they remained silent.

Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, Jesus said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death. (Mark 3:1-6)

I love this part of Mark!  I can picture Jesus looking the Pharisees in the eyes and then defying them.  He was for mercy while the Pharisees were all about the Law.  He fought the Law, but in the end the Law won.  Death on a cross was his fate. 

There are many times when we just know what is right and what is wrong.  Being pressured to do wrong and then giving into that pressure – to do evil, for example – would meet with severe disapproval from Jesus.  Mercy and healing are paramount for Jesus, as they should be for all of us.  Consequences be damned, although death is a bit extreme.

The message for us today is hardness of heart puts us in opposition to Jesus.  We all must be prepared to say to those in need of mercy and compassion: “Stretch out your hand!”

Deacon David Pierce