Tuesday after the First Sunday after the Epiphany of our Lord
Posted on January 9, 2024 by under
Scripture: St. Mark 3:1-6 (NKJV)
3:1 And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, 2 “Step forward.” 4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.
6 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.
Devotion
The Epiphany season is about the Lord Jesus being revealed in various ways. In yesterday’s reading, Jesus is revealed as true man who grew in wisdom and stature. In our reading today, Jesus is revealed as true God. Jesus is not just revealing His ability to heal the man with the withered hand; His primary purpose is to show His authority as God in the flesh.
First, the Lord Jesus reveals that He knows the thoughts of those who are trying to test Him, waiting to see what He would do so the Pharisees can accuse Him. Jesus reveals that He knows their thoughts by asking, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” Second, by healing the man, Jesus shows that He has authority over the Sabbath. Since God established the Sabbath, it is God who determines what is lawful on the Sabbath. Jesus provides this healing as the proof that He has authority over the Sabbath because He is true God who can heal the man with the withered hand.
Despite this very public revealing, the Pharisees and Herodians plot to destroy Jesus. The Lord grieved at their hardness of heart just before He performed the healing. May the Holy Spirit continue to open our hearts when the Lord is revealed to us in His Word.
Collect: O Lord, we beseech Thee mercifully to receive the prayers of Thy people who call upon Thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfill the same; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
