Welcome back, dear one! We left off yesterday, talking about the crazy, messy, overflowing love of Jesus.
Now, I am not sure about you, but if your life is anything like mine, you have people who you who you love, and maybe even like. That said, no matter how much you love this person, showing them that love isn’t always easy. Maybe they are really independent and won’t let you help them (for those of you not sitting with me right now, I am raising my hand and laughing, and trying to stay quiet lest I wake a sleeping house). Perhaps the person is hard to understand. There may be miles between you. Whatever the reason is, no matter how much you want to love and serve that person, the timing is just not right.
This whole timing thing, it wasn’t a concern for Jesus. Jesus was a person of urgency. He knew His time was limited. So things happened when they happened. Period.
We can see this in Mark 3:1-5
“Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.”(ESV)
Y’all, that is one powerful passage. Like, mountains moving powerful.
There are two audiences, and a whole lot of amazingness in this passage, so can we break it down, verse by verse?
In Mark 3:1, the scene is set for us. Jesus enters the synagogue. Jesus notes a man with a withered hand.
According to the prominent archeologist Arthur Evans, this withered hand was was conveyed using the Greek word xeros. This is loosely defined as dry, with reference to land. In this context, it likely referred to “infantile paralysis”. Some have said this may have been what we know now as poliomyelitis or polio meningitis. This can cause atrophy to the muscles and create a deformity of the limb.
Now, I know this feels like a lot of conversation for one small detail, but hang with me for a second. Given that this man likely contracted an illness in early childhood that caused a permanent deformity, this would have made him unable to work, and therefore dependent on others for support. This would have been a man living on the fringe.
This man, he is our first audience in the passage.
Where do we always find Jesus? Pouring out love on those living at the fringe.
In verse 2, we see our second audience. The Pharisees have gathered. They see Jesus enter...they catch this man living at the fringe. Jesus sees him, but knows why he has everyone’s attention. They want to see if Jesus is going to heal on the Sabbath. They are collecting proof to make their case against Jesus.
And, y’all, Jesus never fails...He feels all eyes on Him, and in verse 3 tells the man with the withered hand to come forward. This is significant. He is making a public statement.
As the story unfolds, we see the real reason for the crowd in verse 4. The Pharisees hurl accusations poorly disguised as questions. Can you heal on the Sabbath? Seems innocent, right? Jesus, however, knows what they are really saying. He answers them with a different question...is it better to be evil and stand by doing nothing, or should the life be saved. They are silenced.
Now verse 5...this is where the magic really happens. We see the love of Jesus come out in the form of something we don’t typically associate with Jesus. Anger...and when I say anger, I mean righteous indignation. Jesus sees this crowd, silenced, wanting to set Him up, willing to disregard this man in need as prop in their game. He sees hearts hardened. Souls tied to rules and law, rather than love. And then, Jesus returns to audience one...our man with the withered hand...and commands him to stretch out his hand. And he was healed.
Y’all, let me say that again.
HE.WAS.HEALED.
This miracle is beautiful, complex, and significant for so many reasons. That said, I want to focus on one area...how Jesus met this man where he was. While this man was not only disabled (making him dependent on others), his disability was visible. There was no covering it. There is reference to it being his right hand (in Luke). This is significant because the right hand, in this time, because sitting at the right hand was considered the place of honor, left handedness was considered less honorable. The love of Jesus not only restored the use of a limb previously not usable, it freed him from disability and dependence, and restored him to a place of honor.
He was at the fringe. And then he was restored. He was made whole. And he was a new creation through the love of Jesus.
Dear ones, I don’t know about you, but there are times, when I feel like the man with the withered hand. Maybe our disabilities are different. Maybe they are not physical. Maybe they are not disabilities at all.
Maybe...just maybe, you have a dependency forcing you to be dependent on others in many ways. Addiction. Depression. Maybe it is a sin you feel is unforgivable...a sin that has left you unable to survive in wholeness on your own.
Dear ones, please hear me when I say, Jesus is waiting for you. Even if the throng of judgment around you is screaming, He is there. He sees you. And he has commanded you to take the leap of faith you didn’t think was possible, and believe He will heal you.
Dear one, stretch out your hand. He is waiting.
Now, I am not sure about you, but if your life is anything like mine, you have people who you who you love, and maybe even like. That said, no matter how much you love this person, showing them that love isn’t always easy. Maybe they are really independent and won’t let you help them (for those of you not sitting with me right now, I am raising my hand and laughing, and trying to stay quiet lest I wake a sleeping house). Perhaps the person is hard to understand. There may be miles between you. Whatever the reason is, no matter how much you want to love and serve that person, the timing is just not right.
This whole timing thing, it wasn’t a concern for Jesus. Jesus was a person of urgency. He knew His time was limited. So things happened when they happened. Period.
We can see this in Mark 3:1-5
“Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.”(ESV)
Y’all, that is one powerful passage. Like, mountains moving powerful.
There are two audiences, and a whole lot of amazingness in this passage, so can we break it down, verse by verse?
In Mark 3:1, the scene is set for us. Jesus enters the synagogue. Jesus notes a man with a withered hand.
According to the prominent archeologist Arthur Evans, this withered hand was was conveyed using the Greek word xeros. This is loosely defined as dry, with reference to land. In this context, it likely referred to “infantile paralysis”. Some have said this may have been what we know now as poliomyelitis or polio meningitis. This can cause atrophy to the muscles and create a deformity of the limb.
Now, I know this feels like a lot of conversation for one small detail, but hang with me for a second. Given that this man likely contracted an illness in early childhood that caused a permanent deformity, this would have made him unable to work, and therefore dependent on others for support. This would have been a man living on the fringe.
This man, he is our first audience in the passage.
Where do we always find Jesus? Pouring out love on those living at the fringe.
In verse 2, we see our second audience. The Pharisees have gathered. They see Jesus enter...they catch this man living at the fringe. Jesus sees him, but knows why he has everyone’s attention. They want to see if Jesus is going to heal on the Sabbath. They are collecting proof to make their case against Jesus.
And, y’all, Jesus never fails...He feels all eyes on Him, and in verse 3 tells the man with the withered hand to come forward. This is significant. He is making a public statement.
As the story unfolds, we see the real reason for the crowd in verse 4. The Pharisees hurl accusations poorly disguised as questions. Can you heal on the Sabbath? Seems innocent, right? Jesus, however, knows what they are really saying. He answers them with a different question...is it better to be evil and stand by doing nothing, or should the life be saved. They are silenced.
Now verse 5...this is where the magic really happens. We see the love of Jesus come out in the form of something we don’t typically associate with Jesus. Anger...and when I say anger, I mean righteous indignation. Jesus sees this crowd, silenced, wanting to set Him up, willing to disregard this man in need as prop in their game. He sees hearts hardened. Souls tied to rules and law, rather than love. And then, Jesus returns to audience one...our man with the withered hand...and commands him to stretch out his hand. And he was healed.
Y’all, let me say that again.
HE.WAS.HEALED.
This miracle is beautiful, complex, and significant for so many reasons. That said, I want to focus on one area...how Jesus met this man where he was. While this man was not only disabled (making him dependent on others), his disability was visible. There was no covering it. There is reference to it being his right hand (in Luke). This is significant because the right hand, in this time, because sitting at the right hand was considered the place of honor, left handedness was considered less honorable. The love of Jesus not only restored the use of a limb previously not usable, it freed him from disability and dependence, and restored him to a place of honor.
He was at the fringe. And then he was restored. He was made whole. And he was a new creation through the love of Jesus.
Dear ones, I don’t know about you, but there are times, when I feel like the man with the withered hand. Maybe our disabilities are different. Maybe they are not physical. Maybe they are not disabilities at all.
Maybe...just maybe, you have a dependency forcing you to be dependent on others in many ways. Addiction. Depression. Maybe it is a sin you feel is unforgivable...a sin that has left you unable to survive in wholeness on your own.
Dear ones, please hear me when I say, Jesus is waiting for you. Even if the throng of judgment around you is screaming, He is there. He sees you. And he has commanded you to take the leap of faith you didn’t think was possible, and believe He will heal you.
Dear one, stretch out your hand. He is waiting.
In Love, JSB
PS: As always, don’t forget to snag your journal page here!
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