Mark 3:1-6 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Mark 3:1-6. With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage. Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage? After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below. Let’s go!
Mark 3:1-2 (NIV)
1 Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there.
2 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.
On verses 1-2: The Pharisees were in “church”, that is, in the synagogue, but their focus was not on worshiping Yahweh. Their focus was looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, to see in particular if Jesus would heal a worshipper in attendance with a shriveled hand.
How about you? When you go to church, is your focus on giving God your best worship or are you more focused on seeing the people and judging what some of them do? It’s no wonder Jesus was angry and “deeply distressed” (v5) by the way the Pharisees conducted themselves in the synagogue.
When you go to church, let your focus be on God and giving Him your best worship. For if your focus is on seeing the people you like and judging the ones you don’t like, you will completely miss the point of going to church, failing to give God worship and missing God’s heart. But let your focus be on worshiping God and you’ll catch God’s heart for people in the process.
Mark 3:3-4 (NIV)
3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”
4 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.
On verses 3-4: The Pharisees had led the people in holding a mistaken view about the Sabbath day of rest. They were so focused on adhering to trivial man-made rules, such as “is this person doing work on the Sabbath by healing someone?” that they missed the bigger picture, which is that if God wants to heal someone on the Sabbath, isn’t that a wonderful thing? So after telling the man with the shriveled hand to stand up, Jesus asks them all a question: “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” Jesus associates “to do good and to save life” with healing the man with the shriveled hand, while “to do evil and to kill” Jesus associates with not helping the man with shriveled hand at all. Jesus was leading people back to the big picture of God’s purpose for the Sabbath day.
May we not be so focused on the little things that we miss the bigger picture.
Just as Jesus used this man with the shriveled hand to communicate a bigger lesson about who God is, so whenever you experience a miracle, remember that behind the miracle is a greater lesson about who God is and what His heart is like. God is a healer, a restorer, one who loves to give life, to do good and to save. Every miracle contains a message about who God is.
Mark 3:5 (NIV)
5 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.
On verse 5: Once again we see the healing power of Jesus. But verse 5 tells us one more thing about Jesus: Jesus got angry. Jesus was angry and deeply distressed at the stubbornness of the Pharisees. Is anger a sin? Not when it is directed appropriately toward things that also bother God’s heart. If you and I don’t get angry at things such as injustice, racism, and abuse, then that is not a sign of godliness but of ungodliness. Anger has its place when sourced correctly and managed wisely.
Mark 3:6 (NIV)
6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
On verse 6: Whenever God is doing a great work, Satan is wanting to steal, kill and destroy it. As Jesus Himself says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10). Like the Pharisees and the Herodians, we have a choice: will we join God in His mission to save others, or will we be part of destroying it?
Thank You Jesus for never losing sight of the big picture. I pray I would not be so focused on little things that I miss the bigger thing that You are doing. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
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