-6Jesus Heals a Man with a Withered Hand on the SabbathObservations/Questions:does the word "again" mean this took place on the same sabbath recorded in the last passage of chapter 2?Jesus is in a synagogue again but did it not say earlier that he stayed away from public places?Ready to pounce on the healing something seems odd when the Pharisees ignore the miracleTheir silence in v 4 - does it mean they thought it lawful then?It does not seem that the Pharisees could see the forest through the trees - Jesus seems agitated maybe with this continual misunderstanding or stubbornnessAnger - what does this word mean? What about grieved?The hardness of the heart - internal? External work of God?What about this event stirred the Pharisees so much they wanted to kill?Why is this questioned but not the exorcism on a sabbath in 1:21-28?Meaning:Mark does seem to be exposing the motives of the Pharisees to his readersThe text must confront the reader's heart about stubbornness, hardnessJesus came to bring life, to restore goodnessApplication:Walking Closer to Jesus:Our own rules, even if religious, need to be confronted if they are not from God. Do I let trivial things stand in the way of genuine commitment?Modeling Jesus:Are we about giving good things to people around us? Not stingy and crotchety.Praising Jesus:He is Lord of the rules and the Giver of good things.Group Questions:What strikes you the most in this passage about the Pharisees? About Jesus? What is stubbornness? Describe ways in which you think your heart is stubborn to Jesus?Listen to NH podcasts on www.newhopechurch.cc/listenThe ALL New Hope Underground Podcast will be kicking off in 2022! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.