Jesus Heals the Man with a Withered HandBible World
3:2Mark 3:2
And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
In the synagogue healing of the man with the withered hand, the Pharisees with scribes, doctors and other opponents watched Jesus closely to see whether He would heal on the Sabbath so they might accuse Him as a Sabbath-breaker. They watched not to help the afflicted man but from prejudice against Sabbath healing, concealed hatred and rage that He would do good on the Lord's day. Jesus knew they would treat His merciful healing as a violation and turn the people against Him for it, yet He healed in spite of their opposition. His act shows that doing good, showing compassion, relieving suffering and saving life on the Sabbath is lawful and right, honors the day and upholds the fourth commandment as God gave it, and was no breaking or abolishing of the Sabbath. The charge could not stand, for the multitudes who saw His works of mercy and heard His pure and holy teaching knew these were not the deeds and words of a Sabbath-breaker or blasphemer.
Scene and Hostile Watching
The watching took place in the synagogue around the healing of the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath, where a fair examination of what was done would have laid bare the healing itself. The occasion belongs to Christ's works of healing on the Sabbath, showing the Sabbath as a fitting time to seek God's help for the afflicted.
The watchers were the Pharisees, together with doctors, scribes and other opponents, who kept Jesus under close observation to see whether He would heal on the Sabbath so they might accuse Him as a Sabbath-breaker. They were present when He healed the man's withered hand, watching intently for grounds of accusation. Their scrutiny was fixed on that single question of Sabbath healing in order to turn the people against Him.
They did not watch to help the afflicted man, but from prejudice against Sabbath healing and from concealed hatred. They were enraged that He did a good work on the Lord's day, even while they claimed to enjoy God's special favor. That hostile intent shaped their close attention, seeking condemnation rather than relief for suffering.
Their hatred burned because He exposed their hypocritical pretensions and tore aside the cloak of rigorous rites that hid their moral deformity. His pure religion condemned their hollow professions of piety, and His pointed rebukes made them thirst for revenge.
This watching was one effort among many to provoke Him to say or do something that would give occasion to condemn Him. It was followed by several attempts to stone Him from which He quietly withdrew, by trying to arouse the Herodians with the charge that He sought to set up a rival kingdom and consulting with them how to destroy Him, by trying to excite the Romans with the charge that He tried to subvert their authority, and by every pretext to cut Him off from influencing the people.
Their hostility over His acts of mercy and their influence discouraged needy people from seeking His help during the Sabbath. When the Sabbath ended at sunset the sick came to Him openly, and He healed them with mercy and divine power.
Sabbath Mercy Vindicated
Jesus knew beforehand that His enemies would treat a merciful healing as a violation and use it to turn the people against Him, yet He healed the afflicted man in spite of that knowing opposition. The healing declares that to do good on the Sabbath, to show compassion, to relieve suffering and to save life is lawful and right. Such deeds of mercy honor the day and uphold the fourth commandment as God gave it, while useless restrictions and rites dishonor it. It was not a breaking or abolition of the Sabbath, and the attempt to condemn Him as a Sabbath-breaker for relieving suffering could not stand.
His Sabbath miracles were not displays of power but met the needs of suffering people afflicted by Satan. They reveal that relieving human suffering is appropriate work for the Sabbath, unlike ordinary work or pleasure-seeking activities. The Sabbath is therefore a fitting time to seek God's help for the afflicted and to bring them happiness through healing.
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. Even the officers sent to seize Him were so influenced by His words that they could not lay hands on Him. Examining what He actually did would have exposed the healing and undermined the attempt to charge Him with wrongdoing, for if He had truly broken the Sabbath false witnesses would not have been needed against Him.
That Sabbath healing provoked such malice and murderous rage that Jesus withdrew with His disciples to another field of labor. He withdrew to the Sea of Galilee and to a more favorable place to work. There He continued teaching and healing, until in desperation an edict was passed that any man professing faith in Jesus should be cast out of the synagogue.
In the synagogue healing of the man with the withered hand, the Pharisees with scribes, doctors and other opponents watched Jesus closely to see whether He would heal on the Sabbath so they might accuse Him as a Sabbath-breaker. They watched not to help the afflicted man but from prejudice against Sabbath healing, concealed hatred and rage that He would do good on the Lord's day. Jesus knew they would treat His merciful healing as a violation and turn the people against Him for it, yet He healed in spite of their opposition. His act shows that doing good, showing compassion, relieving suffering and saving life on the Sabbath is lawful and right, honors the day and upholds the fourth commandment as God gave it, and was no breaking or abolishing of the Sabbath. The charge could not stand, for the multitudes who saw His works of mercy and heard His pure and holy teaching knew these were not the deeds and words of a Sabbath-breaker or blasphemer.
Scene and Hostile Watching
The watching took place in the synagogue around the healing of the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath, where a fair examination of what was done would have laid bare the healing itself. The occasion belongs to Christ's works of healing on the Sabbath, showing the Sabbath as a fitting time to seek God's help for the afflicted.
The watchers were the Pharisees, together with doctors, scribes and other opponents, who kept Jesus under close observation to see whether He would heal on the Sabbath so they might accuse Him as a Sabbath-breaker. They were present when He healed the man's withered hand, watching intently for grounds of accusation. Their scrutiny was fixed on that single question of Sabbath healing in order to turn the people against Him.
They did not watch to help the afflicted man, but from prejudice against Sabbath healing and from concealed hatred. They were enraged that He did a good work on the Lord's day, even while they claimed to enjoy God's special favor. That hostile intent shaped their close attention, seeking condemnation rather than relief for suffering.
Their hatred burned because He exposed their hypocritical pretensions and tore aside the cloak of rigorous rites that hid their moral deformity. His pure religion condemned their hollow professions of piety, and His pointed rebukes made them thirst for revenge.
This watching was one effort among many to provoke Him to say or do something that would give occasion to condemn Him. It was followed by several attempts to stone Him from which He quietly withdrew, by trying to arouse the Herodians with the charge that He sought to set up a rival kingdom and consulting with them how to destroy Him, by trying to excite the Romans with the charge that He tried to subvert their authority, and by every pretext to cut Him off from influencing the people.
Their hostility over His acts of mercy and their influence discouraged needy people from seeking His help during the Sabbath. When the Sabbath ended at sunset the sick came to Him openly, and He healed them with mercy and divine power.
Sabbath Mercy Vindicated
Jesus knew beforehand that His enemies would treat a merciful healing as a violation and use it to turn the people against Him, yet He healed the afflicted man in spite of that knowing opposition. The healing declares that to do good on the Sabbath, to show compassion, to relieve suffering and to save life is lawful and right. Such deeds of mercy honor the day and uphold the fourth commandment as God gave it, while useless restrictions and rites dishonor it. It was not a breaking or abolition of the Sabbath, and the attempt to condemn Him as a Sabbath-breaker for relieving suffering could not stand.
His Sabbath miracles were not displays of power but met the needs of suffering people afflicted by Satan. They reveal that relieving human suffering is appropriate work for the Sabbath, unlike ordinary work or pleasure-seeking activities. The Sabbath is therefore a fitting time to seek God's help for the afflicted and to bring them happiness through healing.
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. Even the officers sent to seize Him were so influenced by His words that they could not lay hands on Him. Examining what He actually did would have exposed the healing and undermined the attempt to charge Him with wrongdoing, for if He had truly broken the Sabbath false witnesses would not have been needed against Him.
That Sabbath healing provoked such malice and murderous rage that Jesus withdrew with His disciples to another field of labor. He withdrew to the Sea of Galilee and to a more favorable place to work. There He continued teaching and healing, until in desperation an edict was passed that any man professing faith in Jesus should be cast out of the synagogue.