PODCAST
True Life
January 18th, 2021
Mark 3:1-12
Jesus never backed down from His opposition. Jesus was fully aware He was under scrutiny for “breaking the Sabbath,” yet He confronts the issue directly. He calls out the paralytic, makes him stand in front of everybody and uses him as an illustration for the importance of wholeness of life.
Jesus’ opponents take great offense at this. They really do not understand His instruction that the sacredness of life outweighs their “religious” rules about a day or place. Their anger at being “schooled” in the law leads them to murderous thoughts. They are far from “whole/holy.”
In “holy anger” (v.5), Jesus restores the dignity of the man (disability leads to social exclusion) as well as the physical healing of his hand. Jesus’ goal is always shalom, wholeness/holiness. Jesus is teaching that the true interpretation of Sabbath (Shabot) is to rest in the holiness of the Lord. It is also the true meaning of life: to be in holy relationship with God.
Author: Eva Geddes
