January 18 2006

Mk 3:1-6 Jesus entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched Jesus closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him. He said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up here before us.” Then he said to the Pharisees, “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. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.
Jesus would not leave the man in need of healing just because it was the sabbath. He asks the Pharisees if it is legal to do good on the sabbath. Here Jesus is angry with the Pharisees at their hardness of heart. He heals the man with the withered hand and the Pharisees react by holding a counsel and deciding to put Jesus to death. How cruel our human ways are blind to the way of love and life that Jesus is clearly teaching and pointing to. I pray that I am walking in ways today that are on the path of God and that my heart is not hardened toward anyone but open and loving in all that I do today.