How difficult it must have been to stretch out a withered hand in response to our Lord’s call to do so, that he may be healed. Can we do the same? Can we stretch out our hands to the Lord, raising all that which makes us incomplete? Our sins, our addictions, our hard heartedness? So that we too may be healed?
Following God’s law without love in our hearts is an incomplete act of discipleship. May the Lord our God guard our souls so that our hearts may not be hardened. Amen
GOSPEL Mark 3:1–6
Jesus entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched Jesus closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him. He said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up here before us.” Then he said to the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.
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