Life Scripts

Another time 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 with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
Mark 3:1‭-‬6 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.3.1-6.NIV.

The Sabbath day seemed to be Christ’s focus. He wanted to give a certain lesson to the people around Him. But what lesson? The Sabbath was a day God set aside for man to rest and worship Him. But this had changed gradually. The Jewish religious folk had instead converted it into a platform of scoring religious points and not focusing on God. Christ sought to challenge this. Infact it seemed as if He deliberately chose this day to perform this miracle by the way he gestured to the man to stand in front of people in verse 3 and also by how He asked a question in verse 4. Infact the questions summarized Christ’s intentions so clearly in verse 4, ‘…to do good or evil…to save or to kill…’. Christ had a simple message; that it’s godly to do good always…even on the Sabbath. The Sabbath is the Lord’s day. How blessed is it if we use it to do good? How marvelous is it if we bless others on that day? How marvelous would it be if we help someone on that day? But the question arises: what if my doing good prevents me from doing what I think I should do on Sabbath. What if on my way to church, I encounter a man needing help and chooses to assist him knowing that I’ll miss church that day? In essence that is our dilemma today. But Christ makes it clear: doing good on Sabbath is God’s idea. Going to church is one thing. Doing good to others is a whole different ball game. The Sabbath is a day meant to bless others. That’s what Christ is calling us to.