“…Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. SOME OF THEM WERE LOOKING FOR A REASON TO ACCUSE JESUS, so they WATCHED HIM CLOSELY to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: TO DO GOOD OR TO DO EVIL, TO SAVE LIFE OR TO KILL?” But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and HIS HAND WAS COMPLETELY RESTORED. Then the Pharisees went out and BEGAN TO PLOT HOW THEY MIGHT KILL JESUS.” (Mark 3:1-6) Synagogues played a crucial role in Jewish religious life. They were built for worship and for the schooling of young children. A synagogue could be built wherever there were at least 10 Jewish families. Growing up in Nazareth, Jesus followed the custom of going to the synagogue each Sabbath, and now on His first journey to His hometown, the Sabbath finds Him in the synagogue. The synagogue was not simply a place to share God’s Word, but also AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE’S RELATIONSHIP TO GOD.
Jesus just preformed a miracle and the Pharisees wanted to kill Him. This shows just how corrupted the religious leaders had become.
PLEASE HELP US LORD TO KEEP OUR HEARTS PURE…
-Bill Stockham