ON YOUR MARK: WEEK 3 DAY 1

Mark 3:1-6

A Man with a Withered Hand

3 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” 4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

When was the last time you encountered someone in need? This could have been a physical, financial, emotional, or spiritual need. Now picture that person. 

The man with the shriveled hand meant nothing to the Pharisees, other than as a pawn used to try and entrap Jesus. Their self-righteousness had moved into self-importance of such magnitude that they were blind to God’s presence among them, as well as being compassionless to their neighbor.

Let’s do a quick heart exam. If you did see someone in need recently, how did you respond? Was your heart compassionate toward them? What was God doing in bringing the two of you in contact with each other? Is there any further action you need to take in order to do good towards them?

Now for the eye exam. If you have not seen anyone in need recently, it may be time to pray and ask God to correct your vision. Ask Him to show you if your selfishness has made you blind to what God is doing around you or what he is trying to show you.