They Were Silent (Mark 3:4-5)

 


Thursday, 27 November, 2025


Psalm 68:1-20

2 Kings 24:10-25:7

Mark 2:18-3:6


Observance: Ember Day


They Were Silent (Mark 3:4-5)


And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.


It feels so good to be right! But something I have noticed about that feeling is that it only works if there is someone else who is wrong – that is, to feel good about being right, it requires someone else to “lose”.


Internet arguments are notorious for this sort of thing. Debaters seem less concerned with presenting a convincing argument as they are about “winning”. And if there are winners, there are also losers.


Jesus found himself in the midst of a group of people like this. They were arguing about some irrelevance or another, when suddenly this man with a withered hand appeared. How ever their debate went, real lives were now involved. We read that Jesus “looked around in anger” at those who cared only for the argument, and did nothing when reality walked into the room.


How attached are you to being “right”? What would you do when circumstances demanded you act on your principles?


Holy Father, we praise and thank you for sending your Son to teach us truth, and show us the example to follow. Give us wisdom from above, that our beliefs may be reflected in our actions.

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