Jesus Heals the Man with a Withered HandBible World
3:1Mark 3:1
And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
Jesus went back into the synagogue where a man with a withered hand was present, while the scribes and Pharisees watched Him with hostility to find cause to accuse Him if He healed on the Sabbath. His healing there was an act of mercy for the relief of suffering, showing that doing good is lawful on the Sabbath and that need must not be left unhelped on that day. By it He swept away human restrictions while upholding the fourth commandment as God gave it, so His work honored the Sabbath that empty rites dishonored. The leaders, enraged and exposed, condemned Him as a Sabbath-breaker and plotted with the Herodians to destroy Him, yet the crowds who saw His mercy knew His deeds were not those of a Sabbath-breaker, and the rising malice led Him to withdraw with His disciples to the seaside.
Synagogue Setting and Opposition
He entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there with a withered hand. The presence of the afflicted man in that house of worship set the scene for what followed.
The Pharisees and scribes watched Him in that setting with hostility, looking for an opportunity to accuse Him if He healed on the Sabbath. They intended to use such a work of mercy as a pretext to condemn Him as a Sabbath-breaker. When He did the good work on the Lord's day they were enraged, believing He had no right to do it then.
Their hatred dated from the first, because He exposed their hypocritical pretensions and tore aside the cloak of rigorous rites that hid their moral deformity. By His pure religion He condemned their hollow professions of piety, and for His pointed rebukes they thirsted for revenge. They tried to provoke Him to say or do something on which to condemn Him, and they tried to arouse the Herodians against Him by representing that He sought to set up a rival kingdom, even consulting with them how to destroy Him. They tried to excite the Romans against Him as subverting their authority, and they tried every pretext to cut Him off from influencing the people. Yet the multitudes who saw His works of mercy and heard His pure and holy teachings knew these were not the deeds and words of a Sabbath-breaker or blasphemer.
The miracle aroused such hostility and malice among the Jews that Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the seaside. He withdrew to another, more favorable field of labor. There crowds sought Him for healing and for deliverance from demons.
Sabbath Mercy and Honor
The healing that followed was a good work and an act of mercy for the relief of the afflicted, meeting the needs of suffering people. Doing good and showing mercy are lawful on the Sabbath, and deeds of mercy are lawful then. The Sabbath is not a reason to leave someone in need without help, and it does not prevent relieving suffering, for relieving suffering is proper work on that day.
By this healing false teachings about the day were corrected. Human customs and restrictions were rejected while the fourth commandment was upheld as God gave it. The act honored the Sabbath, whereas useless rites and ceremonies dishonored it. Relieving suffering as proper Sabbath work stands in contrast to unnecessary ordinary or pleasure-seeking activities.
The healing work done there on the Sabbath exposed the compassion of the actions. That compassion undermined the attempt to condemn Him. The healing illustrates power to heal the soul.
Jesus went back into the synagogue where a man with a withered hand was present, while the scribes and Pharisees watched Him with hostility to find cause to accuse Him if He healed on the Sabbath. His healing there was an act of mercy for the relief of suffering, showing that doing good is lawful on the Sabbath and that need must not be left unhelped on that day. By it He swept away human restrictions while upholding the fourth commandment as God gave it, so His work honored the Sabbath that empty rites dishonored. The leaders, enraged and exposed, condemned Him as a Sabbath-breaker and plotted with the Herodians to destroy Him, yet the crowds who saw His mercy knew His deeds were not those of a Sabbath-breaker, and the rising malice led Him to withdraw with His disciples to the seaside.
Synagogue Setting and Opposition
He entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there with a withered hand. The presence of the afflicted man in that house of worship set the scene for what followed.
The Pharisees and scribes watched Him in that setting with hostility, looking for an opportunity to accuse Him if He healed on the Sabbath. They intended to use such a work of mercy as a pretext to condemn Him as a Sabbath-breaker. When He did the good work on the Lord's day they were enraged, believing He had no right to do it then.
Their hatred dated from the first, because He exposed their hypocritical pretensions and tore aside the cloak of rigorous rites that hid their moral deformity. By His pure religion He condemned their hollow professions of piety, and for His pointed rebukes they thirsted for revenge. They tried to provoke Him to say or do something on which to condemn Him, and they tried to arouse the Herodians against Him by representing that He sought to set up a rival kingdom, even consulting with them how to destroy Him. They tried to excite the Romans against Him as subverting their authority, and they tried every pretext to cut Him off from influencing the people. Yet the multitudes who saw His works of mercy and heard His pure and holy teachings knew these were not the deeds and words of a Sabbath-breaker or blasphemer.
The miracle aroused such hostility and malice among the Jews that Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the seaside. He withdrew to another, more favorable field of labor. There crowds sought Him for healing and for deliverance from demons.
Sabbath Mercy and Honor
The healing that followed was a good work and an act of mercy for the relief of the afflicted, meeting the needs of suffering people. Doing good and showing mercy are lawful on the Sabbath, and deeds of mercy are lawful then. The Sabbath is not a reason to leave someone in need without help, and it does not prevent relieving suffering, for relieving suffering is proper work on that day.
By this healing false teachings about the day were corrected. Human customs and restrictions were rejected while the fourth commandment was upheld as God gave it. The act honored the Sabbath, whereas useless rites and ceremonies dishonored it. Relieving suffering as proper Sabbath work stands in contrast to unnecessary ordinary or pleasure-seeking activities.
The healing work done there on the Sabbath exposed the compassion of the actions. That compassion undermined the attempt to condemn Him. The healing illustrates power to heal the soul.