Mark 3:1-6 (NIV) 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.

We learned through Jesus’ healing on the Sabbath day, that not only do we need to run from legalism, but we also find out that Christ heals us internally before we have external changes. Jesus healed the withered man’s hand, but first the man had to stretch his hand out in faith. The man was healed first on the inside because of his faith in Christ, and then Christ healed the broken man’s hand. Working from the inside-out is how Christ heals, but the Pharisees did it their own way – healing from the outside-in.

We as Christians need to allow God to work on our hearts first, so we can look more like Him every day.

-Cary

 

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