Stretch Out Your Hand

Mark 3:1-6 ESV
1 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” 4 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. 5 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. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

The withered hand of this man could signify the effect of God' Law on the nation of Israel. The Law itself was good, but it had been ill used and misapplied until it withered the spiritual intent of the Law. They ask the question, "Is it lawful?", yet they do not know what the law is about.

When asked by Jesus whether it is lawful to do good or save, they do not respond. They are unable to see life in the law, only death. Jesus came to fulfill the law, to accomplish what the Law could not accomplish due to the weakness of man.

Jesus can heal us. All we have to do is stretch out our hand to Him.