A Man with a Withered Hand

Today's Reflections   

 

 

                       

A Man with a Withered Hand 

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Mk 3:1-6

¹[Jesus] entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. ²They watched him closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him. ³He said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up here before us.” ⁴Then he said to them, “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. ⁵Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored. ⁶The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

TO DO GOOD ON THE SABBATH. Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on a Sabbath. He does it not to do evil but to do good, not to destroy life but to save it. Even if people think ill of him and he grieves at their hardness of heart, Jesus continues to serve and heal. He is certain of his mission, and the Father is with him.

Jesus’ healing challenges the Pharisees. Will they praise God or persist in hardheartedness? It is a defining moment in their faith. They decide to remain in their unbelief and, with the Herodians, they plot the death of Jesus.

“Go! the Lord will be with you.” After his initial objection, Saul sends young David to face the Philistine Goliath. David goes with the certainty that the Lord, who delivered him from the claws of the lion and the bear, will also keep him safe from the clutches of the Philistine. With sling and stone, David strikes Goliath down and beheads him. His victory shows that the Lord wins battles not because of sword or spear but out of his will to save.

In our efforts to proclaim God’s love,

let us not be discouraged by hate campaigns

against us. In the end, Jesus’ name will be glorified.