MIRACLES OF JESUS: HEALING A HINDRANCE
MARK 3:1-6
INTRODUCTION… Survivorman TV Show
I started watching a show the other day that I found a little fascinating and a little bizarre at the same time. I think it comes on the Discovery Science Channel. I asked Kelly if she remembered what the fellow’s name was and she said, ‘stupid.’ His name is actually Les. The name of the show is ‘Survivorman’ and the premise of the show is that this survival expert maroons himself in different places for a week or so and has to survive by his wits and skills. He has marooned himself out at sea and in jungles and in all sorts of out of the way places. The one show I remember took place in Alaska (I think) and he simulated a plane crash. He had plane wreckage brought to a remote site and had to survive a week and hike out of the wilderness alive. To simulate a plane crash, he also bound one of his arms as though he had been wounded in the crash. He tried to make a shelter with only one arm. He tried to collect fire wood with one arm. He tried to catch a rabbit with one arm. After about two days of trying to survive with one arm, he removed his restraint and the rest of the show he had use of both his arms. He admitted that survival with extreme injuries and such a hindrance is highly impossible.
To be honest, I think living life with such a hindrance would be a great challenge. Today, we are going to look at a passage that involves Jesus healing a man from a hindrance. It was of course much more than just removing a restraint, but a miracle by the Master Healer. Let’s read.
READ MARK 3:1-6
I. THE SITUATION (verses 1-2)
The setting and situation of this particular miracle of Jesus is not a complicated one. Jesus was in the synagogue on the Sabbath. Makes sense for Jesus to be in the synagogue on the Sabbath. Actually, it makes sense for us as well doesn’t it; where else should someone who believes in God be on God’s Day other than in God’s House? There were people there in the synagogue that were watching Him and looking for a way to accuse Him. These critics were always listening as He preached and taught and had even seen some of His miracles. The Gospel of Luke (6:7) describes these people as waiting for Jesus to heal on the Sabbath so that they could accuse Him. Jesus was always doing things and saying things that the Pharisees and Sadducees thought were inappropriate. These people knew Jesus’ proclivity for doing good and healing. It was just a matter of time before Jesus would trip up and heal this man!
If you had been in attendance on this day of worship, you would have seen (Mark 3:1) that a man with a shriveled hand was in the synagogue. Luke (6:6) tells us that it was his right hand. The word used here is one that tells us that his hand was rigid, withered, paralyzed and was unable to be used. Given that most of us are right handed, I hope you can imagine what an absolute hindrance this must have been for this man. He had no use of this very useful hand. In addition, most people only have two hands… so it creates quite a handicap if one hand cannot be used.
So, the situation involves three different players:
(1) Jesus (the healer)
(2) The man with the shriveled hand (the bystander and bait)
(3) Pharisees (the critics)
II. THE HEALER HEALING A HINDERANCE (verses 3-6)
Jesus is in the midst of this tense situation and does three very important things.
First, Jesus has the man with the withered hand stand in the middle of all the people. Why did Jesus do this? Was He trying to embarrass this man who already probably had some embarrassing feelings or issues? What was the purpose of calling this man into the midst of all of them? I think Jesus wanted everyone to get a good look at this man so that there would be no questions about the legitimacy of what He was about to do. This man really did have a handicap and it was not faked in any way.
Second, Jesus questions the critical Pharisees that are sitting there. Jesus asks (verse 4), “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” I can imagine a long pause after this question was given because the next verse tells us (Mark 3:5), “He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts…” They didn’t even answer Him. The reason was because the Pharisees were utterly sinful in what they were trying to do. They could not say that it was lawful to do evil or kill because the law forbids these things at all time. In addition, it sounds utterly brainless to say that doing good and saving lives are ever against the law. In fact, the Apostle Paul would later write to the Galatians and tells them (5:22-23), “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” God never forbids us from doing the good and loving thing.
ILLUSTRATION… What is okay to do on the Sabbath?
According to www.crazylaws.com, old laws that are still on the books…
In Alabama, it is against the law to play dominoes on Sunday.
In Alabama and Massachusetts, hunting is not allowed on Sunday.
In Little Rock, Arkansas it is illegal to walk one’s cow down Main Street after 1pm on Sunday.
In Colorado, Indiana, Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, & Wisconsin car dealers may not sell cars on Sunday.
In Denver, Colorado it is illegal to drive a black car on Sundays.
In Florida, it is against the law for unmarried women to parachute on Sundays.
In Georgia, it is illegal to cut off a chicken’s head on Sunday.
In Massachusetts, it is illegal to deliver diapers on Sunday regardless of emergencies
In Minnesota, hamburgers may not be eaten on Sundays.
In New Hampshire, on Sundays citizens may not relieve themselves while looking up.
In Rhode Island, it is illegal to sell a toothbrush and toothpaste to the same person on a Sunday.
What is acceptable to do on Sundays [ask the congregation]
Go out to eat? Working? Work on the car?
Mow the yard? Watching sports? Do a hobby?
Doing laundry and cleaning? Playing sports? Go to church?
I hope you see that Jesus did not break any type of law or intend to break any type of law while in the synagogue on this Sabbath Day. It is always good to do the loving thing. It is always good to do the godly thing… and that leads us to the third thing that Jesus did in this tense situation.
Third, Jesus heals the outstretched hand of this man in the presence of everyone watching. I do not think the Pharisees were all that surprised. This was exactly what they were waiting for! The man’s hand was completely restored. The man’s hand was fully functional as if there had been nothing wrong with him at all! This was a miracle that was done right before their eyes… and the Pharisees were furious. In fact, verse 6 tells us, “Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.” Jesus did what was good and right and noble and saving on the Sabbath and He did not care about His critics.
So, what are we suppose to learn from this passage?
III. THE LESSONS
(1) There will be those around us (or us) who are withered and withered-ness can be restored if we cooperate with Christ. I hope that you know that our God is in the business of restoration.
* God restored to Job all that he had and blessed him doubly from what he had before (Job 42:10)
* Psalm 23 (verses 1-3) declares, “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.”
* Jesus restored Peter after he denied Him three times (John 21:15-17).
* 1 Peter 5:6-10 says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”
I do not know if you feel that part of you might be a little withered today: Maybe it is your heart. Maybe your heart is stiff and hard and unusable by God. Maybe you have attitudes, or unforgiveness or grief in your life that paralyzes you. Maybe you have a relationship that you have become numb to and it has stopped your life in its tracks. I hope that you see in this passage that if we are willing to stick it out there, that God will change us and restore us to what we should be. He can do that and He does do it for countless faithful people who allow God to work in their lives.
(2) We sin when we fail to do good or allow bad things to happen. James 4:17 tells us even more plainly, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” I think of this lesson because I tried playing out this passage if it had gone some other way… if Jesus did not heal the man, but avoided doing good because of His critics. Jesus tells us (Matthew 12:11-12, Mark 3:4) and Paul tells us (Galatians 5:22-23) that we must not stand around or sit on our hands or keep our mouths shut while evil goes on around us or good is failing to get done. We must act! We must speak up! For you see, Jesus shows us by His example and His life and His conduct, that we must commit ourselves to doing good no matter what others might say or do around us. I want to encourage you to speak up and correct the wrong things around you. I want to encourage you to act on things when you know them to be noble, true, and right. Jesus would.
CONCLUSION
