Monday, March 4, 2002
Monday, March 4, 2002
He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart
and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
Perhaps what Jesus was saying is, "Dear Pharisees, I, like you, am a fundamentalist. But
rather than exalt rules to the detriment of human compassion, I choose to elevate compassion
over rules. You are treating this man as a dead fish, as a 'loose impediment.' I view him as an
'outside agency.' You would have me play 'by the book,' even if it injures this man. But I will
not. Rather, I will continue to follow the rule of love and compassion. Precisely. Exactly.
Fundamentally yours, Jesus."
(Mark 3.5
NRSV)
Jesus enters the synagogue and sees a man with a withered hand. His instinct of compassion
is to heal the man, and that's what he intends to do. The Pharisees watched to see if he would
attempt a healing on the Sabbath. Jesus perceived the trap they were setting. Jesus knew
that the compassion of his heart was about to violate the Pharisees' impassioned, by-the-book
application of statutory minutia. Knowing his actions would spark a theological hubbub, Mark
says that, "Jesus was grieved by their hardness of heart and said to the man, "Stretch out your
hand."
Dear Jesus, may the compassion you have for me flow through me to touch those in need
today. Amen.
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