Mark 3:1-6

The Episode

1 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, "Come here." 4 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. 5 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. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

-- Pray --

So one Sabbath Jesus again went to church, to the synagogue, to the public meeting (1). Mark says, a man was there with a withered hand (1). Luke, who was a doctor, tells us it was the man's right hand (Luke 6:6). To have a withered hand meant his hand was stiff, deformed, and paralyzed.

The religious leaders, knowing Jesus' character and power, watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath (2). They knew Jesus would see the man. They knew he would be drawn to human brokenness.

The Pharisees, though, didn't care about the man at all. Instead, they wanted to see if Jesus would heal him on the Sabbath.

Why? Because their legalistic interpretation of the Bible's Sabbath laws had concluded that they could only keep someone from dying on the Sabbath. If life was endangered, or if an injury would worsen without treatment, the community could intervene. Otherwise, all medical help had to wait until the Sabbath was over.

So if Jesus healed the man, they could accuse him (2). The language is legal. They are trying to build a legal case against Jesus.

Jesus knew their thoughts, so he called the man forward (3). Then he asked the religionists a searching question: "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" (4). They had no answer, but were silent (4). This angered Jesus, and in his righteous indignation, he looked around at them, grieved at their hardness of heart (5).

Then Jesus told the man to stretch out his hand (5). He stretched it out, and his hand was restored (5). Even though Jesus didn't touch the man, it was clear he had healed on the Sabbath.

As for the religious leaders, this episode was their tipping point. They didn't like how Jesus forgave the paralytic, ate with sinners, did not fast twice each week, and broke their Sabbath rules. And now there was this healing of the man.

The Pharisees responded immediately by plotting with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him (6). Right away, they joined together with a group in support of Herod's regime to come against this threat called Jesus. They were enemies, but the Pharisees and Herodians banned together to destroy Jesus (6).

His ministry is still new, but Jesus will spend the rest of his life under the threat of death. Jesus endangered their power. He was a threat to be neutralized. They want him gone.

But what can we learn from this episode?

Many things, to be sure, but I would like to focus on three things by focusing on three characters. By looking at Jesus, the Pharisees, and the man with the withered hand, we can learn much about God, dead religion, and ourselves.

1. Jesus: God Is Compelled To Do Good.

His Obvious Desire And Nature

All through the story, we see Jesus' heart and intention to do good. Even the Pharisees realized Jesus wanted to help people, which is why they watched Jesus when he went into the synagogue (2). They knew the presence of the man with the withered hand would stir up Jesus' desire to heal (2).

How wonderful it would be to become like Jesus! He was drawn to peoples' pain. There, in the synagogue, all eyes were on him and the man. Everyone knew what Jesus wanted to do.

No Gray Area

And, for Jesus, there was no gray area. He asked, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" (4). It was one or the other for Jesus. Good or harm. Save life or kill life.

He would not let them wiggle out of this into some cunningly worded religious argument. He would not let them skirt the issue and try to walk a middle path. It was either/or. What should we do on the Sabbath, good or evil, save life or kill life?

For Jesus, there was no middle ground, no third option. As God in the flesh, he could not do evil or bring harm. He was compelled to do good and save life. It was his only recourse. His very nature demanded he act for the benefit of this man.

Why was Jesus driven to do good and bring life to this man?

Because God is love, and love wills the good of its object. In other words, the love of God means God craves the ultimate good for everyone who is a target of his love. And, since we know God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, we know God is good (John 3:16). So, as God in the flesh, Jesus was driven by love to do good.

The Modern Question

But the idea of God's goodness leads to a modern question about human suffering and evil. Many will object to the idea of God's goodness and power by asserting that a good and powerful God must not exist because of all the horrendous evil and suffering in our world.

If God has the power to eradicate suffering, and the love to want our good, how could suffering still exist? He either isn't very loving or isn't very powerful, but he can't be both.

In his book, The Doctrine Of God, Norman Geisler states the normal argument of those who doubt God exists in this way:

  1. An all-good God would defeat evil.
  2. An all-powerful God can defeat evil.
  3. But evil is not defeated.
  4. There is no such God.

But, this argument misapplies the truth about God. Because he is all-good, and also all-powerful, we should come to a firm conclusion: he will vanquish all evil in the future. It is only his good and powerful nature that gives us any hope at all for the decimation of wickedness.

Our argument is stated like this:

  1. An all-good God would defeat evil.
  2. An all-powerful God can defeat evil.
  3. But evil is not yet defeated.
  4. Therefore, all evil will one day be defeated.

There is no other option. Because God is who he is, evil must come to an end. Because he is good, he is inclined to see all that is bad is deleted. Because he is all-powerful, he has the ability to get the job done. So, with anticipation, we await this glorious event.

And the cross of Christ has aided us in this understanding. At the cross, Jesus defeated sin, the devil, and the evil world system. He unleashed the power of God onto the world. Forgiveness, redemption, and restoration are made possible by his blood.

Interestingly, Jesus knew he was in the synagogue that day to do good and save life, but that it would lead to his own harm because the religious leaders would start plotting to kill him (4). For him to do good -- not just for this man but for all humans -- meant he'd have to suffer harm. For him to save life, he'd have to be killed.

Faith: Trust He Is Doing Good

What does this mean for us today? It means we can look out at our broken and fractured world and know that all this evil and tragedy will one day be done away with by Christ's appearance. He has defeated evil on the cross, and one day that victory will be secured.

But it also helps us know Jesus is doing good today. There is no third way, no middle path, for Jesus. He can only do good. Whether I see it or not, I know he is working good!

This is part of what it means to walk by faith, brothers and sisters.

"For we live by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7, NIV).

"For we live by believing and not by seeing." (2 Corinthians 5:7, NLT).

Trust Jesus. He is doing good right now. Though evil and brokenness have their moment, Christ is working towards a glorious future where every evil is defeated, and tears will be no more.

But what can we learn from the Pharisees, the religionists, the legalists of Jesus' day?

2. Pharisees: God Is Angered By Dead Religion.

The Pharisees Stubbornness

It is amazing how the religious leaders would not answer Jesus' questions. He'd asked, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" (4). And they responded with silence (4). I mean, the answer was so obvious, but they couldn't bring themselves to respond. They couldn't confess it was lawful on the Sabbath to do good.

We saw this problem last week when Jesus and his disciples walked through the fields, plucking heads of grain to eat. The Pharisees accused them of reaping a harvest on the Sabbath day. The system they'd built around the Sabbath-day was restrictive and incompatible with God's intention that Sabbath be a life-giving experience.

Love vs. Religion

What happened to these religious leaders? What corrupting influence had gotten ahold of their hearts? What made them so stiff, rigid, stubborn, and immoveable?

I mean, even the smallest child could answer Jesus' questions correctly. The Sabbath was a day for life-giving good, not life-killing harm. Everyone knows that, but these men could not bring themselves to think that way. Why? What happened to them?

Slowly, over time, their love for God was replaced with love for their religion. In other words, their traditions and interpretations had become the irreplaceable objects of their affection. They weren't there for God, but for tedious religious practices that gave them a sense of self-approval and holiness. And, as they loved their little legalistic methods, they became blind.

Paul described them well:

"They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart." (Ephesians 4:18, ESV).

You see, though God had prescribed the Sabbath and the sacrificial system for Israel, these men had forgotten what all of it was about. They were meant to have a society which honored God -- complete with Sabbaths, festivals, sacrifices, and a thriving priesthood -- as a witness to the surrounding nations. Their love for God was meant to be contagious. Abraham's seed was to be a blessing to the whole world (Genesis 12:1-3).

God had warned them religiosity should not replace true godliness. He'd said it this way:

"I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings." (Hosea 6:6, NLT).

"No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8, NLT).

The Anger Of Jesus

But, for the religious leaders, love had been displaced with religiosity and tradition. And this angered Jesus. Yes, that's what I said. Jesus was mad. Mark said, "And he looked around at them with anger (5).

Why? Because he was grieved at their hardness of heart (5). Jesus' anger grew out of what he knew -- that they'd become so hardhearted, so entrenched, so fossilized in their traditions that not even the radical presence of the Holy Son of God could shake them from their ways! So he was angry. It was righteous anger. Anger without sin (Ephesians 4:26).

The Holiest Man In The Room

In Jesus, we see the heart of God. He hates dead religion. He hates forms and traditions that get in the way of loving God or loving people.

You see, Jesus was the holiest man in the room. The Pharisees were not holier than Jesus. He was pure. He never sinned. Every thought and intention and feeling of Jesus was submitted to his Father in heaven.

And, in his holiness, Jesus cared for the man. In Matthew's account of this story, we learn that Jesus said,

"Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." (Matthew 12:11–12, ESV).

This man was Jesus' sheep! He was more valuable than a sheep! In all his holiness, Jesus knew it was time for him to do good for this man. And the fact the Pharisees could not approve of such a good and loving action, all because of some twisted respect for their interpretation of the Sabbath, angered Jesus. Because God is angered by dead religion.

Jesus said the most important commandment is that we love God. And he said a second is closely tied to the first, that we love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:29-31). He loved God, and that love flowed into love for the man with the withered hand. That's true holiness. And God is angered by dead religion that blocks us from the holy life of loving God and others.

My Question

I wonder if many believers have fallen into dead religiosity? I wonder if many have not sought God personally, but have succumbed to lifeless tradition? I wonder if God will use this season of sheltering in place and social distancing to revitalize many of his people? And I wonder if God is waking some of his people up to real holiness?

This last week, on our church social media accounts, I shared a mini-teaching on the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Peter says the church is a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). Revelation says we are a kingdom of priests (Revelation 1:6, 5:9-10). When Jesus saves you by his blood, you gain his position. He is the great high priest who brings you to God. So now, believers have access to God and are his representatives here on earth.

On the one hand, the priesthood of all believers is a delicate doctrine to address in our era. Some have used it as a way to invent unbiblical doctrines, an I-can-do-what-I-want-because-God-told-me-so attitude. Others have used the doctrine to remove themselves from church life and its leadership, a the-church-is-the-people-so-we-don't-need-the-institution-of-the-church attitude.

In individualistic societies like ours, the priesthood of all believers is often dealt with gingerly by pastors and teachers because they understand their audience. Western believers often look for any excuse to express themselves and regard all institutions with suspicion. In other words, we don't need much convincing that we can go to God directly.

But, one the other hand, the reason I bring it up today is that many, while believing in the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers, have given up on it for practical purposes.

They believe they can go directly to God. They believe they are his representative on earth. But in practice, they live as if God is only accessible at their church gatherings, and their church leaders are the only ones called to represent God here on earth. When we fall into this rut then we try to live off a couple sermons a month, a couple life groups a month, and believe only our pastors are required to live holy lives.

So maybe this season we're in, one of sheltering in place and social distancing, will refresh us in the reality that every person covered by the blood of Jesus can enjoy God and be his representative here on earth.

Let us confess: We love our churches. We follow our church leaders. We pray for the expansion of the church here on earth. We will not forsake the assembly. We will faithfully attend, serve, participate in, and give to our church. But we will not let tradition or religion get in the way of our walk with God or obedience to him! We will let this time of separation stretch us and train us in our priesthood before God!

Let's conclude by turning our attention to the man with the withered hand. What can we learn from him?

3. The Man: God Offers Restoration.

Our Weakness

We should easily connect with the man with the withered hand. I talked about this in an earlier study in Mark, but his culture looked down upon disability. Many would've wondered if his hand was God's judgment on him or his parents for sin.

This flawed perspective, along with the normal human desire to avoid being gawked at, would've kept this man as private as possible. He would have felt a measure of shame and embarrassment over his withered hand. To him, it was a weakness.

But Jesus healed the man of his weakness. The word Mark used was restored (5). Jesus restored the man's withered hand. He brought it to health, back to what it was supposed to be in the first place. Restored.

And many of us sense personal brokenness within. We are embarrassed by our bad habits, unreasonable emotions, broken relationships, and personal failures. We sense we aren't everything we are supposed to be, or could've been, but what can we do about it? We've tried to self-improve and do better, but it never works. Like this man, we've wished we could be different, but to no avail.

But Jesus comes along, offering to help the man, and offering to help you. He wants to restore and grow us. But how? Well, look at the man for an example.

1. Step Forward

First, Jesus called the man forward. He said, "Come here" (3). Some translate the phrase as stand up or stand up in the middle. Jesus made the man go public. He was no longer anonymous.

I don't think for a moment this felt good to the man. I think he wanted more than anything to go through the synagogue gatherings in private, escaping the notice of onlookers. But now Jesus has called him to stand front and center.

But this is important. You see, God wants you to squarely face your need. He wants you to come to terms with your place of weakness. He wants the blighting and impotent areas of your life to come front and center.

He calls you forward. It might be through confession. It might come through admitting your weakness or fears to another. It might come by setting down the facade you've got it all together. But Jesus is interested in that area of weakness in your life. He wants to deal with the disabled parts of you. So he calls you to step forward to him in your place of need.

2. Believe Jesus

Second, the man had to believe in Jesus. I mean, he would never have interacted with Jesus if he hadn't believed Jesus could do something about his condition.

You must know Jesus can do something for you. You must believe he is the source of power and transformation you need for life. You must become convinced he has the ability to help you in your place of need, your place of weakness.

3. Obey Jesus

Third, and finally, the man had to obey Jesus. Jesus said to the man, "Stretch out your hand" (5). This was impossible for the man. And one thing I love about the man is his refusal to argue with Jesus. He could've explained his withered hand to Jesus. He could've told Jesus how he'd tried to stretch out his hand a million times before.

But instead of arguing with Jesus, the man obeyed Jesus. And as he did, as he stretched out his hand, it was restored (5). The power of Jesus met him.

You see, the command of Christ includes the power of Christ. When Jesus tells us to do something, he is ready and willing to help us obey him. This man knew he couldn't obey Jesus in his own strength. He knew Jesus would have to help him. And with trust, he determined to obey Jesus' word. As he did, the power of Christ came upon him.

Paul told us to:

"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12–13, ESV).

Step out! Obey! And the power of God will work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

The truth is, we only have two options. Argue or obey. Rationalize or submit. We can tell the Lord how long we've struggled or how hard we've tried. Or we can end our arguing and set out, in his power, to obey.

At that moment, when our hearts are soft and ready to obey, we will discover his new power, new life, and new abilities. Everything we need, he will provide.

As Peter said:

"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence...” (2 Peter 1:3, ESV).

So let's step forward to Jesus, believe Jesus, and obey Jesus. Only he can restore our places of brokenness.

Concluding Applications

1. Set your hope for the future entirely on Christ.

2. Believe he will work all things together for God.

3. Identify any traditions that have gotten in the way of your relationship with God.

4. If needed, let holiness be redefined.

5. Jesus remade you and put you into his priesthood. Act like it.

6. Determine what your "withered hand" is and bring it to Jesus.