Meditations

There is a time to leave.

”Again Jesus entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched to see what Jesus would do, whether He would heal on a Sabbath… Jesus said, ‘Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?’ They were silent. He looked around at them in anger, grieved at the hardness of their hearts, and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. Immediately the Pharisees went out and held counsel with the Herodians to destroy Him.” (Mark 3:1-6)

This is a busy Sabbath for Jesus. The Pharisees would still be burning from being scolded and told by Jesus that He was the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28), so Jesus knew the man with the withered hand would simply be a continuation of His teaching them about the value of human lives versus their Sabbath rules. When Luke tells the same story, he is silent in regard to Jesus’ state of mind. But Mark, again watching Jesus through Peter’s eyes, gives us the important detail that, as He looks over the audience before Him, Jesus is initially angry – the same level of anger as when He cleansed the temple – followed by a deep sorrow. The Pharisees may not have cared, but it’s good for us to understand the things that really make our Lord angry. If we see one of His children hurting, our Lord wants us to know that it’s one of His highest priorities for us to respond immediately if we can help. Who is my neighbor? Everyone!” (Michael Card)

And, is it not remarkable that no one sees the absolutely incredible divine miracle that Jesus has just done by speaking four words? “These Pharisees are so blind that now they are joining up with King Herod’s favored political faction. The ‘Herodians’ were a political party of Jews, consisting mostly of Sadducees, who were supported by the Roman authorities and were sympathetic to King Herod. The Pharisees, on the other hand, were extremely orthodox Jews, and in all other matters they were totally opposed to Roman rule and King Herod. That these groups would conspire together to trap Jesus reveals how seriously both groups viewed Him as a threat.” (John MacArthur) Obviously, the time had come for Jesus to leave Capernaum. (Mark 3:7-12)

David