Restoring the shriveled hand

SCRIPTURE:

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”

Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. Mark 3:1-6

OBSERVATION:

In this passage, we see yet another instance of Jesus exposing the extent of the error of the Chief Priests and Pharisees in their interpretation of the Torah. In their zeal to adhere to the legal letter of the law, the Jewish spiritual leaders had so warped the meaning of “not to work” on the Sabbath that they could not even allow healing or helping someone in need on the Sabbath day.

Some of Jesus’ enemies sought this occasion particularly to try to catch Jesus healing on the Sabbath, watching him closely to see if they could accuse him. Knowing their intention, the Lord did not shrink back but openly asked a man who came to be healed of his shriveled hand to stand up in front of everyone and challenged them. “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent to the Lord’s great anger. And the Lord proceeded to heal by asking the man to stretch out his hand.

The hand is a precious thing. With the hand we can write, do work, cook, love, defend ourselves, all sorts of things. How terrible it must be to have a shriveled hand incapable of all the good a healthy hand can do. The shriveled hand was synonymous with the cloak of legalism that the Pharisees had placed upon the people. They had burdened the people with an outward form of religion which stifled them and kept them from drawing close to God and doing the good that God wanted them to do.

The Lord looked at them in anger and was distressed at their stubborn hearts. They were so entrapped in their own legalism and self-righteousness that they could not see the great good Jesus was doing in bringing healing to the sick, life to the dead, and setting captives free.

APPLICATION:

Some of us may have spiritually shriveled hands today. It could be shriveled because of various reasons. Perhaps it is because of religious preconceptions and traditions. Perhaps it is because of shame due to a past sin. Perhaps it is because of unforgiveness and an unwillingness to let go. How can we be healed by the Lord? It has all to do with our hearts.

The Pharisees and teachers of the day were trapped by their stubborn hearts. What is a stubborn heart? It is a heart that is set on its own ways, unwilling to change even when it becomes so clear that its way is wrong. What is the opposite of a stubborn heart? It is a sensitive, responsive heart that is willing to change in response to God’s leading. A stubborn heart is also proud, while a humble heart is willing to yield, to unlearn and relearn if need be. If we humble our hearts and yield to God, then He is able to touch and heal us and restore us to do all the good that He means us to do with holy, healing hands ourselves.

PRAYER:

Precious Lord, we humble ourselves before You today. Forgive the stubbornness of our hearts. Melt our pride and stubbornness we pray. Create in us a new heart, soft and responsive to Your leading, ready to hear Your voice and obey. Bit by bit, Lord, set us free from our entrapments. Free the strongholds in our mind, free the unforgiveness in our hearts, free the hurts and shame of our past that has bogged us down. Restore us O Lord, help us release and forgive. Set us free that we might worship You and seek You and find You. Bring us, Lord to higher heights, deeper seas, even as You call us. Lead us, strengthen us, empower us. Bless our minds, our hearts, our hands O Lord. Set us free to do the works that please You. We praise You and bless You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.