Mark 3:1-6

Read/Pray

Mark 3:1–6 ESV

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” 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. 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. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

Series in Marks Gospel:

1: Jesus is the Son of God

2: We pursue Jesus for who he is not what he offers.

Last two weeks:

Jesus has been having conversations with the scribes.

Mark 2:28 ESV

So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

Today:

This weeks story begins on another sabbath day.

Jesus finds himself in the synagogue doing what he has been doing which is preaching.

In this story we find 3 different parties: Jesus himself, This man with a withered hand, and the pharisees.

We have a lot we can learn from all three parties

but we are going to spend a majority of our time on the pharisees.

I would describe Today as a heart check that to some of us may feel like heart surgery.

Jesus wants to transform our heart of stone into a heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:26–27 ESV

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Transition: Before we can get to the heart check I want us to make sure we understand vividly the passage of scripture that we just read. One of the beautiful things of a gathering of this size is that we get to wrestle through this together in community, and at the same time as we read that story it is more vidid for som than others. before we get to how this applies to us I want this story to be vivid for each of us.

The setting: Synagogue:

Worship & Prayer – While sacrifices were offered only in the Temple in Jerusalem, local synagogues were places where Jews gathered to pray and read Scripture, especially on the Sabbath.

Teaching & Scripture Reading – Rabbis or teachers would read from the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) and explain its meaning. This is why Jesus often taught in synagogues.

Community Center – Synagogues were also used for legal matters, education, and general community activities.

The main character (other than Jesus) A man with a withered hand. “Explain Withered hand”

The Greek word used for "withered" (ξηράν, xēran) means "dried up" or "shrunken," implying that the hand had lost its normal function, possibly due to paralysis, deformity, or nerve damage.

A dead plant.

Luke’s account (Luke 6:6) specifies that it was the man's right hand, which would have been significant, as the right hand was often the primary working hand.

We have a lot to learn from this man…

Withered but yet worshipful.

Imagine if this man decided he was not going to go to the synagogue today because he was upset about his condition.

Yet this is the day that Jesus decides to work.

You never know When God is going to work, and he loves to work in the house of God amongst his people.

Opposition: Pharisees:

Strict Law-Keeping – They emphasized obeying the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) and also followed oral traditions that added extra rules to ensure obedience.

Separation from Sin – The name Pharisee comes from a word meaning "separated ones." They sought to avoid anything that might make them unclean.

The Situation:

Repaint the story

They see that they have an opportunity to catch Jesus working on the Sabbath.

Jesus:

Jesus looks around with anger

Mark 3:4 ESV

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.

You could cut the tension with a knife.

Jesus moved with compassion heals this man.

Transition: Now that I hope this story is more vivid. Here is where I want us to sit for the rest of this sermon. Jesus wants to move all people to a place of following Him. Jesus is moved to anger when he looks upon humanity and sees our hearts this way… yet this is still where some of us sit when it comes to the Lord working.

5 Signs of a Hardened heart:

1. Compassionless

They are not moved to help this man

In fact he is simply a prop.

What does this look like in us:

You don’t even want to see people be helped.

Exalting Jesus in Mark Be Sensitive to Those Who Need Compassion (Mark 3:1)

Jesus, with sensitivity and compassion, took notice of this man.

When Jesus grabs your heart you cant help but be moved to compassion.

How do we look upon people in need?

I know its messy, I know its hard, I know the burden of needing to care for our family and help people.

Do not become so hardened to need that you miss Gods abiliy to work before your eyes.

2. Accusatory

You want to catch someone in a mistake

and even worse in this case they want to catch Jesus….

Mark 3:1–6 ESV

so that they might accuse him

You are looking to see where you can win the argument, and missing Gods ability to work in front of your face.

Woes to the pharisees

Matthew 23:27–28 ESV

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

What does this look like in us:

We are looking to blame more than to help.

We are more concerned with them being aware of their mistakes than seeing God move.

3. Self righteous

You think you know better than God.

Exalting Jesus in Mark Be Right in What You Say (Mark 3:4)

It is both shocking and sad to think that the Pharisees could not correctly respond.

Their silence condemns them, and it reveals a tragic flaw in their theology concerning the nature of our God

—a God of grace and mercy, love and compassion.

Matthew 23:4 ESV

They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.

They are not actually concerned with helping anyone.

They are concerned primarily with looking better themselves.

What does this look like in us:

We run this same risk today.

The primary point of church not self improvement or self righteousness.

It is to move us to people that live out the mission of the gospel in our lives.

It is not to separate us from the World but rather rather grow our compassion to see others see the same transformative power of the gospel.

Romans 3:10 ESV

as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;

We approach the cross, and all things in humility because Jesus is the one who is righteous.

4. Legalistic

You are less interested in seeing God move than you are in him being confined to your understanding of right and wrong.

Looking for what is wrong rather than looking for what is right.

“Watching”

Here is the deal… Jesus is not going against Gods plan.

While he is moved with compassion…

Exodus 20:8–10 ESV

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.

to simplify the sabbath the rule is do not work…

Basically take a day off from your job and rest and worship.

This is not meant to be restrictive but worshipful.

Yet they have made it restrictive

Now even in that within Jewish law you could work on the sabbath to help someone if their life was threatened. (ie a doctor)

This is not the case with this man though.

Another angle though… How much work is this for Jesus…

All he has to do is speak and this man is healed.

So is he even breaking the sabbath no…

But the fact that we are even dabating this shows how much we are missing the point.

Exalting Jesus in Mark Doing Good for the Glory of God Will Invite Critical Scrutiny (Mark 3:1–2)

For Jesus, doing good for the glory of God would not be restricted by date or location.

5. Against God

God cannot move in a hard heart… he must make it new.

We need God to move our hardened hearts.

We need God to move the hardened hearts of others.

Jesus wants to see these men care

Imago dei… When are hearts are hardened we are not living out the image of God.

In essence we are not living as God created us to be…

The Solution:

We need God to move in our hearts.

God can even move in the hearts of the pharisees

Acts 15:5 ESV

But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

God is at work in redeeming us…and it is going to take time

If you are sitting here today feeling burdened by one of these signs in your own life Ask God to help you.

Ezekiel 36:26 – "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."

Prayer Prompt

Psalm 51:10 – "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."

Philippians 1:6 – "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

Baptism:

Public declaration of a belief in Jesus.

Symbolizing Jesus making us new.

Bethany Miller:

I have been through a great deal of pain and loneliness in in my entire life.

Lamentations 1:9 ESV

Her uncleanness was in her skirts; she took no thought of her future; therefore her fall is terrible; she has no comforter. “O Lord, behold my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed!”

I have seen and been through things other may not have been able to overcome yet her pride made me foolishly believe she had overcome it on her own.

That I saved myself that I didn't need anyone or anything that I could pick myself back up.

Until finally God the great and powerful merciful loving father we serve broke me until there was nothing left to stand on my own.

In his great love for me he gave his only son to die for my sins to wash me clean so that I may have joy and peace in my life feelings I have never felt before until I was saved.

Peace

Lion King example

I have never had a place to belong… Now I do

Praise God