Pam Padgett ... teacher
When Jesus went into the synagogue, He saw a man with a withered hand. Although some were there watching to see if
He would heal on the sabbath day so they could accuse Him, Jesus called the man to stand
before all ....
Mark 3:1 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a
man there which had a withered hand. 2 And they watched him, whether he
would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. 3 And he
saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. 4 And he
saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do
evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
It stood out to me that Jesus didn't try to keep those who sought to accuse Him
from seeing what He did; He didn't try to protect
Himself by hiding and deceiving. Instead Jesus brought the matter in which they sought to
accuse Him into the open, into the light.
But
those who were seeking to accuse Jesus did not deal forthrightly by
answering the questions Jesus asked. Those questions would cause them
to look at whether it really was wrong for Jesus to heal the man on the
sabbath, shining a light on truth of the matter. They wanted to
continue in their hatred toward
Jesus, in darkness, hardening their hearts ...
Mark 3:5 And when he had looked round about on them with
anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto
the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand
was restored whole as the other. 6 And the Pharisees went forth, and
straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might
destroy him.
While reading this account, I was reminded that God is light
and we cannot walk in darkness if we are to walk with Him. We must walk
in light, willing to be honest, speaking and walking in truth, led by the Holy Spirit ....
1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and
declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we
lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in
the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus
Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.