You can be near the things of God while resisting the Lord of them.
“After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart…” Mark 3:5 • Read Mark 3:1–6
See the Lord of the Sabbath
Before looking at anyone else, look at Jesus. In Mark 2:27–28, He has just declared that the Sabbath was made for man and that He is Lord even of the Sabbath.
Now He enters the synagogue. A man with a withered hand is there. So are people watching for a reason to accuse Him.
Right place. Right Scriptures. Right day. Right commandment. Yet they resist the Lord standing before them.
These gifts are good. The danger is holding them while our hearts refuse the One who gave them.
Looking without beholding
They see an opportunity to accuse.
Jesus sees a man to restore.
He brings the man forward. A person with a real need stands before them, not merely the subject of a religious dispute.
Jesus asks whether the Sabbath is for doing good or harm, saving life or killing. They remain silent.
Their eyes are on Jesus, but their hearts resist Him. We too can study His words while defending ourselves against what He says.
Righteous anger grieves
Jesus is angry at their hardness, and grieved by it. His anger does not spring from wounded pride. He takes no pleasure in their failure.
The suffering man does not move them to mercy. Yet their hardness moves Jesus to grief.
His holiness is not cold. Even His anger reveals the beauty of His heart. Beholding Him should change both what we oppose and how we respond to those who resist Him.
Hardness or yieldedness
Jesus tells the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He responds, and his hand is restored.
The man yields to His word. The watchers hold their position. Jesus restores life; they go out and plot His death.
Their concern for a commandment has become detached from submission to its Lord. The One they resist is the very One who restores.
Outward conformity to God’s command is not necessarily inward submission to God.
But we should not finish by staring at the Pharisees.
Look again at Jesus.
See the Lord of the Sabbath.
See what He sees.
See what moves His heart.
See His desire to restore.
See His righteous anger.
See His grief over hardened hearts.
See His authority.
Hear His word.
And then, standing before Him:
Lord, is my heart yielded to You?
We are here to see Jesus.
To see His glory.
To bring Him glory.
To please Him.
To become a people after His own heart.
And the soul settles when everything returns to its rightful order:
Jesus is Lord.
His Word is heard.
My heart yields.