Mark 3:1-5

God is gracious

God is kind

God is merciful

God is GOOD

Help me to be like You….

Psalm 34:14

Depart from evil and do good;

Seek peace and pursue it.

Moses' humble, intercessory posture demonstrated a heart surrendered to God alone. This saved the Israelites from God's wrath at Mount Sinai and repeatedly throughout their wilderness wandering. Moses' willingness to submit fully to God for the redemption of the Israelites also foreshadowed the perfectly surrendered posture of Jesus centuries later as "he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:8). Jesus "bowed his head and gave up his spirit" for the salvation of all humankind (John 19:30, emphasis added). First5 

A Sabbath Moment reader passed this one to me and it hit home. When a flashlight grows dim or quits working, do you just throw it away? Of course not.
You change the batteries.
When a person messes up or finds themselves in a dark place, do you cast them aside? Of course not.
You help them change their batteries.
Some need AA... attention and affection.
Some need AAA... attention, affection, and acceptance.
Some need compassion some need D... direction.
And if they still don't seem to shine, sit with them quietly, and share your light. SabbathMoments 

Everything in creation gives evidence of God’s existence. The intricacy of snowflakes, the roar of a thunderstorm, the bubbling of a cool mountain stream. These miracles and a million more give testimony to the existence of a brilliant, wise, and tireless God. The facts lead to a wonderful conclusion. God is…and God is knowable.

“Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made” (Romans 1:20 NKJV). He promises success to all who search for him. Of course, we will never know him entirely. Our God is knowable, but he is incomprehensible. The mark of a saint is that he or she is growing in the knowledge of God. Our highest pursuit is the pursuit of our Maker. And he will make himself known to all who seek him. Max Lucado

Mark 3:1-5

3 And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” 4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 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. The New King James Version

Jesus demonstrates His lordship over the Sabbath by healing a man. This action provokes the Pharisees and their allies to plot against Him. Profaning the Sabbath was a capital offense. 

Jesus’ question about the Sabbath is provocative and was intended to question common viewpoints. Elsewhere Jesus teaches that love of neighbor not only fulfills the law but is central to the kingdom of God. 

Here, Jesus tangibly demonstrates that human traditions and moral codes should not conflict with love of neighbor. 

This biblical idiom, often rendered as “hardness of heart”, indicates both stubbornness and opposition to God’s workings. Faithlife Study Bible

The Sabbath controversy continued as Jesus visited the synagogue. The Pharisees), watched Him closely, not to hear the words of life but to accuse Him. 

Christ put the meaning of the Sabbath to the test. Certainly it was more consistent with the intention of the law to restore this man’s afflicted hand, even on the Sabbath, than to destroy his hopes for the sake of keeping human tradition. 

The Pharisees did not respond, for they knew that they would condemn themselves. The NKJV Study Bible

Matthew 12:9 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.

Matthew 12:10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him.

Luke 6:7 So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him.

Luke 14:1 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely.