Heart At Rest
“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.” (Mark 3:4-5)
“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:28) The Sabbath is an abiding principle, enshrined in that revelation of God’s righteous character called The Ten Commandments. Since the Resurrection, the Lord of the Sabbath has been pleased to move the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday (1 Cor. 16:2; Rev. 1:10). The day has changed; the principle has not. What is that principle? Rest and providing rest for others.
In this particular scene, Jesus enters the synagogue to find a man with a withered hand. In a largely agrarian society, the loss of a hand did not bode well. We may say that it did not rest well with him; therefore, Jesus asks if it is appropriate to heal this man. However, Jesus followed the advice of Atticus Finch – “Never ask a question you don’t already know the answer to.” Jesus knew the answer to His own question, and He knew the hearts of the Pharisees. He saw in them a hardness of heart that loved the sign of rest more than the rest of which it signified. He saw in them a hardness of heart so concerned for what they could not do that they would not do what God had commanded. Instead of resting in God and helping others do the same, they rested in their works, in their ability to be fully engaged in doing nothing. We can be proud of anything, can’t we?
Whereas Jesus showed pity at the leper’s humble condition; now, He is moved to anger because of the hardness of the Pharisaical heart. Their heart was a more serious condition than the man’s withered hand. If you don’t believe me, look at where their hard-heartedness led them (Mark 3:6). Whereas the withered hand only needed to be extended to be restored, the hard heart required Christ Himself to be extended upon the cross. A new heart for them required Christ to be pierced with a spear through His own. For their heart to beat again, Christ’s heart must stop.
Tell me, what does your heart do on the Christian Sabbath? Does it rest? Does it invite others to rest? Are you trying to help the mom with her hands full or guide the lost visitor, or are you just focused on what you can get out of service? Are you checking on those who are restless, or are you dying to send a harsh email? Are you adding labor to the already stretched thin staff, or are you inviting the widow and the wayward to your home for lunch? Where is our heart at rest, or is it just hard?
