Hated For Healing

It says and he entered that is Jesus entered the synagogue again and a man was there who had a withered hand, so they watched him closely whether he would heal him on the Sabbath. so that they might accuse him and he said to the man who had the withered hand step forward, then he said to them to the Pharisees, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil to save life or to kill but they kept silent. And when he had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, he said to the man stretch out your hand and he stretched it out. And his hand was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with and rodians against him how they might destroy him. Let's pray our father as we enter into this time of worship into the hearing of your word, the preaching of your word. Father I pray that the Holy Spirit would move amongst us today. Move Upon Our Hearts as we listened intently to what you have to say, Lord through this passage of scripture. Father, I pray that Lord that you would feel me. Lord, with the spirit hide me behind the cross. Give me the words to say, father, that would be pleasing to you, and edify and glorify your son, Jesus and edify your children. Father, we ask you Lord again, to bless this time. We ask all of these things in Christ, name and all of God's people said, amen, and amen. As you know, if we approach through the starting to preach Through. The Book of Mark, we have already seen how the Earthly Ministry of the Lord. Jesus Christ was surrounded by a lot of disagreement. He had a lot of conflict that had to deal with him. A lot of controversies that he had to deal with time and time. Again, it seems that, everything that Jesus did you made the Pharisees, the religious leaders, the Sanhedrin. Very angry. Every word that he spoke every work he did. It just made them angrier and angrier in Magic matter of fact their hatred would eventually drive them to kill the Lord Jesus Christ. But as we have seen, this is a total of five different conflicts that five different controversies that started back in chapter 1, when Jesus healed the leper in the synagogue, that was number one. Number two was Jesus, hear a healing, the paralytic, man. In in Chapter 2, that was Where Jesus said that this man's sin is Forgiven and that was another conflict with the Jewish Sanhedrin, the Pharisees. They knew that was a declaration of this man. Jesus, declaring him himself to be gone because God is only one who can forgive SIN. Number 3. The third conflict was when Jesus fellowshipped in ate with the Sinners. The tax collectors in the Pharisees thought that was just, you should never do such a thing and then 4th, we saw last week how Jesus and his disciples were in a wheat field and they were picking some of the wheat and the Colonel's and eating that Travis day and the Pharisees accused the disciples in Jesus working on the Sabbath. Well, here in our passage of scripture, we find that fifth conflict in. This is the one that seals the deal. This is the one that says that you crossed the line you're out of here. Speaking of the Pharisees against Jesus. So this visit to the synagogue probably occurred on the same day that Jesus and his disciples were out there in the wheat field and a that confrontation that they had a with the Jews, then the Pharisees just followed Jesus here to the synagogue at they're looking for a way to trap him. They're looking for a way to discredit him to at least in the least, destroy his ministry. Back as we shall see here, they will stop at nothing to see that. That happens. They're doing everything they can to to destroy credit the ministry and life of the Lord Jesus Christ. But we're going to see in our passage is that Jesus will not back off. Jesus will not let up even though he knows where this is eventually going to leave him. Because Jesus is really only consumed about following the will of his father. He will not compromise one bit. He will move ahead with his face toward the cross of Calvary for which he came. Notice with me. No. Number one, the context. What is the context? Well-versed one we see. They're playing the Pharisees playing verse 1 towser's. And he entered the synagogue again. And a man was there who had a withered hand. That's very interesting in Luke's account. Remember, Luke is a physician. He's a doctor. He notes that this is a man's right hand. This man most likely, as most people are right-handed, would made his situation much more debilitating. The text does not explain what caused this man's Affliction. Whether this man had an accident or whether this man had some type of disease of the Greek word translated withered Is a term that refers to atrophy a something that is wasting away. It is use of dead plants that have dried up and wasted away. And so it's this man's right hand is lifeless is wasted away is no good to him whatsoever. Nothing about this in this day and time. And the ancient time of this, when this man was living, this was very horrible. This is a horrible situation. It would have been very difficult for this man to perform any type of strenuous jobs or activities and so forth. It's likely that this man was unable then to earn a living An ancient tradition suggests that this man was a stonemason. And that he had somehow injured, his hand on the job. He lost his ability to work. Thus reducing himself to being nothing, more than a beggar. But whatever, the cause of this man's with her hand, this man is obviously experiencing a severe limitation. I would notice in verse 2.

What's the Pharisees were doing? Versa 2 says so they watched him. Closely, they watched Jesus closely whether he would heal him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him. Now, this watching that they're doing a Jesus, this is no casual observation. Okay, this is not just just going to look know, this is very Sinister. This is is intensive. This is they are gazing. They're hoping that Jesus did something wrong according to their Traditional Values. As a matter of fact, many believe that this fellow with this man with the withered hand is actually a plant by the Pharisees to trap Jesus. And if you read the text, that kind of the flow of the text is in line with this view because again, the scenario could have played out like this. They found this man outside of the synagogue and said something like this. Hey, wow. Your hand, I heard about what happened at looks painful. Now, you don't want to live like this, your whole life. Do you say I want you to come to the synagogue? There's a man named Jesus are. He's already healed. A lot of people. Don't you come and maybe Jesus will heal you as well. Now either they have planted this man or they had just spotted him in the crowd. Either way. They are watching Jesus intently. They're watching to see what he will do. They want to find evidence against Jesus that he is to them a lawbreaker. They're looking for any excuse that they can to put it into his ministry there looking for some way of putting it into his life. I think it's interesting how outwardly they pretended to want to protect the Integrity of the Sabbath. But inwardly, they desperately wanted Jesus to break their Sabbath Traditions, so that they then could discredit him. Now, why this man?

Why were they so fixated upon whether Jesus would heal this man? That had a withered hand? Well, they knew that the Old Testament law gave provision. For if a person that had a life-threatening illness that they were allowed to seek help even on the Sabbath. So Jesus.

A healed. If Jesus saver Hill, someone's body, who is near death? Could not then trap Jesus. But this man's condition was not life-threatening, was it? Now, it was heartbreaking. Yes, right. It was tragic. Yes. But it was not life-threatening And so Jesus could have waited until after the Sabbath to heal him. But Jesus deliberately chose not to postpone the man's healing because he wanted to confront the unbiblical restrictions that work really contrived by the Pharisees by the rabbis. And so Jesus, intensely heal this man, on the seven days to make a spiritual point that leads us to our second point. We see the contact, I noticed. Secondly, the confrontation The confrontation. Remember all the eyes or on Jesus? All the Pharisees are watching them watching. Jesus, intensely. Worst three towns us and he said to the man who had the withered hand step Ford. Again, Jesus knows what they are doing. This is why he calls for the injured man. To come forward to step four. Then Jesus asked a very simple question to the Pharisees. Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do evil, to Save a Life or to kill, says, they held their peace. They kept silent, and they have no answer for Jesus because any answer that they might have given would have absolutely contradicted their own teachings. The problem with these with these men and with people like them today is that they could have they could not have cared any less about this man's condition. They could not have cared less about this injured man. All they cared about was their rules. All they cared about was their ways and traditions, Jesus. Knowing what the Pharisees were secretly plotting. Jesus here, he initiated this showdown. He did not shy away, he's not back down. He was completely in control of the situation. You know why? Jesus is Lord. He's Lord and as he has already revealed and the last chapters we saw last week, he so Lord over the Sabbath and he's not just Lord over any seven. He's Lord of every Sabbath. He's Lord over this particular Sabbath over every day of the week.

But I do find it interesting. Have a man that has this withered hand. In night, did not himself in this. Shake contact with Jesus. In fact, there's no record that the man ever said anything to the Lord. There's no indication that he asked the Lord. Jesus, would you please heal my hand? But rather it was Jesus who called him out of the crowd. I miss man knew his pitiful condition that he knew his his situation. Jesus knew this man's heart, he knew this man's desire. And so he said to the man, with the withered hand, he said hate get up and come forward. This is a command, Jesus is not asking. And again I ask you to look at any Scripture whatsoever that you find Jesus, commanding someone. And then that person saying no I don't think I will. Know Jesus is Lord. Is the creator going to resist. The is the creation going to resist the Creator.

and so we see here, Jesus commands, and he comes and mediately Jesus has finished teaching, Jesus. Commanded the injured man to come again in front of the synagogue in front of everyone. But notice, according to Matthews account, according to Matthews account, which is much more detail. Remember Market, just giving us the just a details, Matthew goes into more greater detail. Notice what Matthew says,

if the Pharisees actually begin to ask questions of Matthew chapter 12 verse number 10, It says, I may ask him saying, is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? That they might accuse him. Then he said to them. What man is there among you who has one sheep? And if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath will not lay hold of it and lift it out. Of how much more value than is a man than a sheet? Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. So here is another mic, drop moment that we saw last week in Chapter 2. Here's another one here in chapter 3, Jesus responded to their question with a general analogy. Arguing lesser from the Lesser to the greater Jesus is saying that if it is, if it is permissible to help a sheep on the Sabbath day, how could it be wrong for you to help someone help a human on the Sabbath day? Whose worth is far more worth than any animal? of course, no Pharisee would have argued that the Sheep Were Somehow more valuable than people, because a very seasoned knew that men humans were created in the image of God, Genesis tells us that Genesis chapter 1 tells us that but yet in practice Even though they knew that but yet in their practice, the Pharisees treated their livestock. They treated their farm animals with more compassion than what they treated other people with. Unfortunately, they would sooner break their religious Traditions to help an animal than to help another person. So again, recognising, the deceitfulness other question, Jesus, turned it back on. His disciples are stupid on his interrogators. The Pharisees he said to them, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath to save or to kill? Now Jesus question, put his his enemies, put the Pharisees and quite a dilemma mean what could they say, right? If they agree that it was lawful to do good and just save a life then they would be unable then to accuse Jesus of any wrongdoing whatsoever. On the other hand, if they claim that it was lawful to to do evil and to kill than they would have been publicly admitted in front of everyone. Their own wickedness, how really merciless merciless they truly were So they found themselves caught in a logical contradiction resulting from their own unbiblical customs. In the end, they did the only thing that they could do that kept their mouths shut. Because again, they knew was the Old Testament said. They knew the intent of the Sabbath was for good. It was not for harm. I saw the Lord question, force them to Grapple with the real issue, which is

Who was really, which people were really wanting to honor God. Was it the one who desire to show mercy and compassion toward the people on Sabbath day? Or was it those who ignore the suffering of others in order to maintain their strict adherence to their own man-made traditions? Well listen. Jesus cornered then, right? He cornered them. Jesus underline this point and verse 5 by a dramatic first, five tells us and when he have looked around at them was anger being read by the hardness of their hearts. He said to the man stretch out your hand And he stretched it out and his hand was restored as whole as the other night. I found it interesting that Jesus he has five look around at them. Another words. He singled them out. Out of everyone that was in that synagogue and I'm going to say that was very very crowded in this synagogue. Jesus was at this point in time. Very popular teachings were unheard of it. During that time he was healing folks but he points. You singles he's Pharisees out. He looks at them.

You stare, as his enemies down, he's looked at them with anger. This tells me that Jesus. Was a man's man, right? Jesus was not was not some effeminate Sissy. No, he's looked these men in the eye. He stared at them. With anger. I know. They're conscious must have burned under the way to that piercing gaze and we think about Jesus looking here intently, I can't help but think about When Peter denied, the Lord three times. Of course, Jesus had told Peter, hey, you're going to deny me three times and Peter said, oh no not me. Lord, I'll never do that. And coerce the time came when Jesus was arrested he was beating And Peter deny that he even knew who Jesus was three different times and the rooster crowed. And the Bible says that the Lord turned and looked at Peter, My my what a this must have been. The Pharisees did not miss this righteous indignation from the Lord Jesus Christ.

And we know that this is that this passage is not the only time Jesus was angry. There were other times. But he was angry. This is the only place in the four gospels where the text specifically states that Jesus was angry.

I'll listen as much as that may disappoint. Some of you Jesus gets angry. And by the way, being angry in and of itself, is not a sin. The Bible talks about that, we can be angry and sin. Not Jesus being angry here is not sending 11 B. What is anger? Well, of course, anger is a deep emotional expression of an of antagonism and opposition. Someone has said that anger. Is described as the gunpowder of the Soul.

But I find myself asking and you may find yourself asking Do I believe in a Jesus? Who got angry? Do I believe in a Jesus who got angry? And here, it's rather obvious. In the statement that Mark makes as a Jesus survey, the, the scene in the synagogue that day that he looked with them with anger. And so Jesus anger is perhaps for you. One of the more difficult emotions in Jesus to be able to handle. I mean, we want to believe in a compassionate Jesus and he was compassionate, it is compassion. We want to believe only Jesus, love and his grace and mercy.

We don't want to believe that Jesus. Can be angry.

But at the end of the day, listen, you cannot pick and choose your own, Jesus, bottom line. That would make him a figment of your imagination.

People will say, well, I like the idea of a compassionate. Jesus was so do I

But they'll say this. I just want to do without it. Jesus, who ever who, who gets angry? But again, that would be making up your own Jesus. I have talked to people even here recently.

who say, well, God is love. Jesus is Love.

And they on purpose. Leave out the fact that God is also a god of wrath.

They also leave out the fact that Jesus also at times was angry.

So we we only want to see the Jesus that we want to see, not really what the scripture points him to be. Very dangerous. Mark explains it to us again, verse five, and when he had looked around them with anger, Why was he angry? Being grieved by the hardness of their hearts. It says, Jesus was grieved at the hardness of their hearts. I think it's very interesting that the New Testament uses more than one kind of expression to describe Hardness of Heart. And the vocabulary, our new testament, the New Testament uses has coming to the vocabulary here. Of our doctors. The particular vocabulary that is used here conveys, the idea of a heart that has become calloused. The Greek word that is used here is peroulis. Our poorest has

Speaking of that Palace. Are there is a protective layer of skin that comes from the constant friction over and over the working. You know, you shake hands with somebody and you can quickly tell who has an inside job and who has an outside job, right? Who's the minister and who's not the minister.

You shake hands with a farmer you know, when you shake hands with a construction worker you know that he works with his hands. It's very obvious just by the touch of someone that you know their vocation

You feel the hardness of your skin, the constant, you so that hardness of skin that has calluses that builds up calluses. Listen, there is a protective hard surface surface. That also develops against the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And through some kind of exercise of heart. These calluses have been created in the Pharisees lives. And what is so fascinating. And it is, what has created those callousness was their response over and over again to the Lord Jesus Christ.

And the previous couple of chapters. Whenever we had. Whenever he had shown that the kingdom of God had come that the king, the Messiah had arrived. And that the kingdom was a kingdom of gracious, restoration, and life transformation of joy and privilege. They had seen it with their own eyes.

But rejected it. They had heard him speak with her on ears, but rejected it. And every single time that they willingly rejected, it a layer of hardness was placed upon their heart.

the more they found themselves in friction, The harder, the hearts became. And now their hearts were so hard, but they were so determined to get rid of the Lord Jesus Christ. So what you find here? Mark chapter 3 verses 1 through 6 is really a heart test. And really the last heart test that Jesus gives Israel. Jesus was giving them the ultimate heart cast by displaying again, and again, the grace and the power and the transformation of the gospel. And they were saying again, and again, for the fifth time, now we don't want any part of it.

We don't care about your power. We don't care about your healing will care about your grace. We don't care about the goodness. We don't care about your mercy. And every time they rejected Lord, Jesus Christ, their heart gets harder and harder until it becomes totally calloused.

And so you see what it was that made. Jesus angry.

Over a period of weeks and months, every single move, the Savior had made and taken was a movie brace. if they saw,

every word he spoke to people were Amazed by the graciousness of the words because they have never heard such teaching as this

everything he did had this heavenly Divine sense of the transforming power of the Gospel that he preached and all the time that they listen, they just hardened their hearts toward those things. Come over to where it just no longer a factor them whatsoever.

Heard about the old great. Welsh preacher, John Elias. This was years and years ago. He took his horse to the blacksmith, look for the blacksmith to put on some new horseshoes on his horse. and there that he heard this howling of a dog. this high pitch barking and Howling of a dog, but he noticed that every time that blacksmith would hit that Anvil with that hammer, Made it high pitch noise that blacksmith had a brand-new dog that just could not stand it about. 2 weeks later. John Elias went back to that. Same blacksmith. And this time, as he was approaching the blacksmith shop, he could hear the hammer of that sub Anvil hitting the Anvil and hearing that crash, but he was not hearing the sound of a dog howling. Rather he saw the dog was now after 2 weeks lying beside that Anvil, fast asleep. No longer bothered him.

And this is how it goes beloved with those who reject the gospel over and over and over again.

Heart becomes calloused. You're no longer under conviction whatsoever. Sia no longer bothers you.

You resist. The gospel youth resist, the message of the Gospel. to me, that is when the greatest fears as a pastor, preach, the Glorious gospel. The only gospel that saves a soul, but then, there are those who hear it. But willfully, resisted and resisted and resisted to such a point that they don't even hear it anymore.

Out of his grief.

At the Pharisees at their unbelief. Jesus said to this man, stretch out your hand in the course, he stretched it out and Jesus. killed this man's hand as good as

but this other man's hand look, like notice lasting very quickly. Big conspiracy.

Verse six tells us of the conspiracy versus six houses in Des Peres he's went out. And merely plotted with herodians against him. How they might destroy him. Speaking of Jesus was very interesting, is that the Pharisees and the herodians Hated one another.

I mean they were enemies politically speaking. However, they found themselves just have at least one thing in common. And that was their hatred and disdain for the Lord Jesus Christ. And Mark tells us that immediately after Jesus heals us. Men in the synagogue immediately the Pharisees make your way to the herodians and they make this pact to bring Jesus to his needs. The rodians appear to be a wealthy and influential supporters of Herod the Great. And their dynastic dynastic rule. There are only three passing references to this group in the New Testament, and here is just one of them. But again, this is just an unexpected Alliance because the herodians were supported supportive of the Hellenistic Jews. Are are the Hellenistic Greco-Roman influences and they gladly supported Roman rule, both of which, apparently strongly opposed. Now, despite their hatred for one another as though they had a common hatred for Jesus, that common hatred was strong enough to bring them together to plot out against Jesus. So, the Pharisees and the herodians did not want to slow down Jesus. They did not want to just stop Jesus. They wanted to destroy him. They wanted to assassinate him and get Jesus out of their way. And this would be their full-time occupation for at least the next year or so. Mother hatred was coupled with fear and those were held with great fervency. Had a combination, one Rider said, as a combination, it would lead them as it can lead us to do unspeakable evil. Oh my God, we thank about the Pharisees. I think about the verse that says, today, if you will hear his voice, Harden, not your heart.

Listen to the gospel. Respond to it. Respond to it. Every time you resisted your heart becomes more and more calloused to things of God.

And your reach a very dangerous point. when you're seeing no longer bothers you, and when the gospel message is preached, it no longer troubles you. Our sex you in any way, whatsoever. Osprey.

My father.

We? Stand today, just amazed at your presents.

If you are seen in the pages of scripture,

even as you have revealed yourself to us and our 6 versus today, you show us your majesty. You show us your glory.

And yes.

You even show us your anger.

Father, we pray that.

If or when we ever since. Your frown upon us.

Because of our resistance. Because of our disobedience.

Oh father. I pray that we would be sensitive to that. And that we would repent and be in right fellowship with you. Father, I pray.

For those that are here or lost. I've never been saved. I heard the gospel over and over again.

I pray. Lord today.

That should give them eyes. The vacancy.

Lord that you would give them ears so that they can hear.

and Lord, just as And your compassion. You healed the hand. Of the man who had the withered hand.

Likewise father and your compassion. Would you heal? Those who are lost. Hero, heal their hearts father.

I pray. Lord that today, many become. Many would say. And many would be saved.

Fathers. We

enter the season of Thanksgiving.

May those of us who have been saved, Those of us who are followers of your son Jesus. Be so thankful.

Be so grateful that we heard your voice speak to us.

And we leave here rejoicing in the fact. That just as you spoke to that wizard. that man who had the withered hand, father, and he came so to you spoken to us,

And we responded correctly. oh, I pray that others would respond that way as well. Father, we love you. We had all these things in Christ name. Amen.