The Perils of Success
TRANSLATION
(1) Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a shriveled hand. (2) And they watched Jesus to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him. (3) And he said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Come stand here!” (4) And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save a life or to kill?” But they remained silent. (5) And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart. He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” When he stretched it out, his hand was healed. (6) The Pharisees left and immediately plotted against him with the Herodians in order to kill him.
(7) Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the seaside, and a huge crowd from Galilee followed. And great multitudes from Judaea, (8) from Jerusalem, from Idumaea, from beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon, having heard what great things he did, came out to him. (9) And he told his disciples to have a little boat waiting for him because of the crowd lest they should crush him, (10) for he had healed many. Those who were afflicted with illness pressed in upon him so that they might touch him. (11) And whenever those with unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him crying out, “You are the Son of God!” (12) And he gave them strict orders not to identify him.
OBSERVATIONS
Jesus’ spectacular ministry of healing was the focus of this segment. Several repetitions lead us to its essential message. In the first paragraph, “shriveled hand” is found twice (vss. 1 & 3) along with “hand” (found twice more in vs. 5). The “Sabbath” was also mentioned twice (vss. 2 & 4). In the second paragraph we find “crowd” twice (vss. 7 & 9) along with “great multitudes” (vs. 7).
Since we learn from Mark that the Pharisees (vs. 6) were waiting to see if Jesus would heal on the Sabbath in the synagogue (vss. 1 & 2), we can assume that the man with the shriveled hand was either a regular synagogue attender or had deliberately been planted there to see if Jesus would violate their scruples by healing him. They refused to answer the question Jesus posed because, by giving the only possible response, they would have condemned themselves (vs. 4). Note that this is one of the few times where we read that Jesus became “angry, grieved at their hardness of heart.”
OUTLINE
I. Jesus deliberately healed the shriveled hand of a man in the synagogue on the Sabbath, strengthening the determination of the Pharisees to kill him. (1-6)
II. Jesus was forced to deal with the crush of multitudes coming to him for healing, demonstrating the increasing popularity of his ministry. (7-12)
IDEA STATEMENT
The growing opposition of Israel’s leadership and Jesus’ increasing popularity with the multitudes strongly impacted how he would conduct the rest of his earthly ministry.
APPLICATION
The growing hostility Jesus encountered from the Jews and his swelling popularity with the multitudes dramatically altered the way Jesus conducted his public ministry from this point on. His violating the legalists’ strict views regarding the Sabbath was clearly of greater concern to the Jewish leadership than the welfare of the many whom Jesus was healing. From now on both the conservatives (Pharisees) and the liberals (Herodians), unlikely allies in most circumstances, banded together to do what they could to discredit his ministry.
The second factor with which Jesus had to contend was the sheer number of people drawn to seek his healing ministry. No matter where he went, those with afflictions pressed in on him to be cured. In addition, those possessed by demons were broadcasting his Messianic identity after he had delivered them. It is no wonder that Jesus withdrew from the crush and noise of the crowds and sought solitary refuge with his disciples. In spite of these hindrances, Jesus resolutely pursued the ministry he had come to do in order to finish the work his Father had given him to accomplish.