Mark 3:1-6 And He entered again into the Synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched Him, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath Day; that they might accuse Him. And He said unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. And He said unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath Days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. And when He had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, He said unto the man, Stretch forth your hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.
There were two spirits operating in the Synagogue that day: the Spirit of God and the spirit of religion. The Pharisees were so possessed by the spirit of religion that they had no regard for the man who was in need of healing. Jesus, on the other hand, cared nothing about their laws and rules, but His focus was on the needs of the people.
We discussed yesterday about the Believer’s Benefit of God’s Care. The fact is, God cares for us and wants us to be saved, healed, and delivered from any and all bondage. He doesn’t care about the rules of any man or denomination. God’s focus is on helping and caring for people.
Jesus posed the question to the Pharisees, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath Days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? They did not respond to His question, which made Him angry. He was upset that their hearts were hardened to the needs of the man with the withered hand and only concerned with the rules regarding the Sabbath Day.
What is the Church today concerned with? Do we only minister to people on Sunday, within the walls of a church building? Do we make people wait until we give an altar call for ministry? Are we truly concerned for the needs of the people who come, or are we more concerned about how they look or where they live?
What spirit is operating in the Church today? The Spirit of God or the spirit of religion? If Jesus walked into your Church today, would He be pleased or angry with what He found?
The Spirit of God will..........turnthe tide
Good question, Doreen
