“Jesus and the Pharisees” – Part 4 – Rules or Relationships? – Mark 3:1-6

We might think that the choice between rules or relationships would be an easy choice. We all would say that we believe people are more important than rules. However, the way we look at the world shows us that such is not the case.

In the question of immigration, there are two sides to look at. On the one side, there are those who say those who are seeking to immigrate to the United States—whether legally or illegally—are only seeking to leave a bad situation and come to a better opportunity here. Most people agree that this is the case. It’s how we respond to this that reflects our views on rules or relationships.

There are those who maintain that our nation is being overrun with illegal immigrants, and that we have to do something to prevent people who willingly ignore the rules to come here. There are those who have no sympathy for illegal aliens, precisely because they are coming to our country in illegally. The reasoning goes that if these people want to come to America so badly, they should go through the proper channels and work within the system to come here.

The other view is that people come to our country illegally precisely because the system is rigged against them. Many of those who seek to immigrate to our nation do so out of desperation, and that this desperation does not allow them the luxury of patiently working their request through the system.

Which is right? Both arguments have a valid point to make. Which side we fall on is a reflection of our understanding of rules and relationships.

In today’s passage, Jesus is confronted by people who are expressly looking to catch Jesus in violating their rules. The result of this encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees leads to drastic steps against Him.

Background

Mark has been chronicling the growing discontent between the delegation sent to study Jesus. As they have come to see, Jesus does not fit into their preconceived notions of what a Messiah should be. Jesus even fails their understanding of what a messenger from God is really all about. So far, they have witnessed Jesus blaspheming by claiming to forgive someone’s sins. They have watched Him fellowship with sinners. Jesus has touched people repeatedly, even though these people are ceremonially unclean. He touches lepers and blind people, people who are ill and demon-possessed.

They even watched as Jesus excused His disciples violating the Sabbath rules. Simply plucking heads of grain and eating them was enough to bring accusations from the Pharisees. Their question to Jesus is, “Why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” (2:24). Jesus’ response ends with the statement, The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (vs. 27).

The Sabbath was important to the Pharisees. It was the fourth of the Ten Commandments, instituted by God Himself before the people of Israel. Accordingly, it was elevated by the Pharisees to the point that they developed traditions and rules and regulations that were designed to protect the people from actually violating the Sabbath.

The problem was that, over time, these rules, regulations and traditions developed by the Pharisees to protect the Sabbath from violation became as sacred as the Sabbath itself. Accordingly, something as simple as plucking grain and eating it became an act of sin and violation.

To the Pharisee, violating a law was bad enough. To willfully violate a law was unfathomable to them. To knowingly ignore God’s laws was to ignore God Himself and defy Him openly.

And so it comes to the events that occur in a synagogue in Galilee. We don’t know if the situation was set up as a test against Jesus or if the circumstances simply allowed for this ultimately judgment against Jesus by the Pharisees. All we know for certain is that Jesus did something on the Sabbath that was unpardonable to the Pharisees.

Central Truth: How we view Scriptures can blind us to the needs of those around us.

The Pharisees

1. Look for reasons to condemn (1-2)

Another time He 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.

There was a time when it was expected that Sundays were days to go to church. I remember when I was a child that our churches were full on Sunday mornings, and there was always a sizeable crowd for Sunday and Wednesday evenings, as well. If it’s Sunday, you go to church. That’s just what you do.

The custom of going to synagogue on the Sabbath was a part of Jewish culture in Jesus’ day. They would attend synagogue for the same reason we attend church today. It was a time of learning, a time of worship and a time of fellowship.

The fact that the man with a shriveled hand was present in the synagogue may seem unusual. After all, a person with a defect was considered unclean in some circles, and unclean people were not allowed to congregate with others lest they also become ceremoniously unclean. The fact that there appears to be no record of an objection to his presence may indicate that a withered hand was not enough to make him unclean. Still, the problem would have been enough to make the man conscious of his state of being. It is doubtful he wanted to become the center of attention.

The second verse is telling. Apparently, the delegation of scribes had come to the conclusion that Jesus was a charlatan, certainly not the Messiah. He had violated too many rules to be acceptable to them. But there was the need for one more test. While many in attendance at the synagogue were there for a valid reason, the delegation was there to watch Jesus, ready to condemn Him if He did the wrong thing.

What was the wrong thing? The delegation knew that Jesus was known for His ability and willingness to heal those in need of healing. Certainly, the man with the shriveled hand qualified for this need. They had no problem with Jesus healing people. They had no problem with Jesus’ compassion.

They did have a problem with timing, though. In Luke 13:10-17, Jesus wants to heal a woman on the Sabbath. The synagogue leader tells those present, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath” (v. 14b). The verse states that the synagogue leader was indignant because Jesus healed the woman. The Pharisees were watching Jesus expressly for the purpose of seeing how He would act on the Sabbath. He excused His disciples; how would He act on this most sacred of days?

The problem with this attitude is that the Pharisees were so caught up in their rules that they failed to see a person in need. They didn’t see an opportunity for ministry; only for a chance to condemn.

2. Condemn silently (3-4)

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.

It’s impossible to get anything past Jesus. He knows our thoughts and our hearts, and He knows not just what we do or don’t do, but He also knows why. In some ways, this is a comfort, because we know we can be completely open and honest with Him. But it can also be frustrating, since we can never fool or trick Jesus.

This is true in this instance. Jesus knew what the Pharisees were about in the synagogue. He knew they had not come to worship, but to judge. He knew their thinking on the Sabbath, and He knew their reason for watching the man with the shriveled hand.

Could Jesus have avoided the confrontation? Absolutely. He could have simply attended the synagogue services and gone His merry way. He could have said a few words from the Scripture and used the opportunity to teach and preach.

But that wasn’t Jesus. He came not only to preach and teach, but He also came to show us how to minister to one another. Rather than avoid the conflict, Jesus seems to invite it. He tells the man with the shriveled hand to stand up and become the center of attention.

At this point, we could ask if it was right for Jesus to force this man to become the center of attention. It may be that the man had come to Jesus discreetly, seeking healing on a low key. The reality is, though, that the man was the focus of the moment. How Jesus responded to the man was the very crux of the Pharisees’ reason for being in synagogue that day. Whether the man wanted to be the center of attention or not, the reality is that he was. Rather than try to hide what He was about to do, Jesus brought the full attention of everyone what was about to happen.

Instead of immediately healing the man, though, Jesus takes the opportunity to ask a question of those who were there to judge Him. The question: “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or do evil, to save life or kill?” It is a question designed to get at the heart of Pharisee thought. After all, Jesus had already told them that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. By calling Himself Lord of the Sabbath was the same as calling Himself equal to God.

The Pharisees saw the Sabbath as God’s day, a day that we were to devote exclusively to God, ignoring everything else. Granted, there were exceptions to their rules. If a life-or-death situation arose on the Sabbath, they acknowledged that life-saving actions could and should be taken, even on the Sabbath.

But healing a man with a shriveled hand was not life-or-death. It was an inconvenience, yes, and a need, certainly. But the man would live until the next day with his hand withered. What was one more day here?

But Jesus’ question goes to the heart of how we view Scripture and rules and regulations. The Pharisees insisted on the letter of the law being fulfilled, with everything being worked around the law. Jesus understood the spirit of the law was more important, with the law there to facilitate life. He understood that relationships were always more important than rules. For Jesus, the failure to do good on the Sabbath—or any day—was the willingness to allow evil. Jesus is telling us that failing to do what we know to do good is to do evil.

And how did the Pharisees respond to Jesus’ question? They remained silent. They said nothing. After all, the probably reasoned, they weren’t there to be judged, but to judge. They had no doubt about their right standing before God. They obeyed the rules and taught others to do so, too. They weren’t to be judged; Jesus was. So they said nothing.

3. Condemn strongly (5-6)

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.

There is nothing wrong with getting angry. We know this because this is the only instance in the Bible where it is stated Jesus was angry. Specifically, it says, “He looked around them in anger, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts,” (v.5a). The problem you and I have with anger is that all too often our anger is directed at a person or people, not at the problem. The definition of righteous anger is here, and it is rare that our anger is righteous.

Jesus’ anger was specifically at the stubborn hearts of the Pharisees. He understood all too well where the Pharisees were coming from. He knew they were people who focused on the letter of the law, who revered the law more than they cared for people. Rather than use their understanding of the law to help people, the Pharisees used the law to limit, to separate and to condemn. Rather than see their need for the presence of God in their midst, they were so focused on their understanding of Scripture that they ignored the Word of God trying to reach out to them. Had they been open, they, too, would have received healing on the Sabbath.

The way Jesus dealt with His anger was to heal the man. He simply told the man to stretch out his hand. When he did, his hand was whole and he could use it as he had once before.

A healing of such a magnitude should be a cause for rejoicing and praising God. Instead, it created the opposite reaction for the Pharisees who had been there to judge Jesus. The Bible tells us that the Pharisees left the synagogue and spent the rest of the Sabbath plotting with the Herodians on how to kill Jesus.

The Herodians were not a group of people the Pharisees would normally have the time of day for. The Herodians were people who supported Herod’s claim as king of the region. They wanted his kingdom to become more secure and broader, to include all of Israel. They worked closely with Herod and his reign.

For the Pharisees, such an attitude was treasonous to God and God’s will. They yearned for the establishment of the Davidic kingdom once again under the Messiah, and working with the Gentile Herod was evil.

So why work with them? Well, rumors about Jesus as Messiah was as much a threat to the Herodians as it was to the Pharisees. Both groups had a vested interest in getting rid of Jesus.

And so Jesus’ question about the Sabbath completely passed over the Pharisees’ heads. Is it lawful on the Sabbath to live or kill? For the Pharisees, their condemnation of Jesus was such that they willingly plotted Jesus’ death on this sacred day.

Conclusion

There are some things in life that really don’t matter in the long view of things. Our taste in music, in entertainment, in foods, even in politics really have no bearing ultimately on what really matters.

What really matters is how we are in God’s eyes. One of the ways we can understand our ministry of reconciliation is to ask ourselves why we want people to come to God. Do we want them to come to Him so they will live the life we think they should live, or do we want them to come to know the love of God as you and I are experiencing it? Do we stress rules, or relationships? Today’s passage shows us Jesus’ view.

Is it your view, too?