Healing of the man with the withered hand

St Mark Chapter III : Verses 1-12

"Stretch forth thy hand..." J-J Tissot

[1] And he entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand. 

[2] And they watched him whether he would heal on the sabbath days; that they might accuse him. 

[3] And he said to the man who had the withered hand: Stand up in the midst. 

[4] And he saith to them: Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy? But they held their peace. 

[5] And looking round about on them with anger, being grieved for the blindness of their hearts, he saith to the man: Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth: and his hand was restored unto him.

[6] And the Pharisees going out, immediately made a consultation with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

[1] Et introivit iterum in synagogam : et erat ibi homo habens manum aridam. [2] Et observabant eum, si sabbatis curaret, ut accusarent illum. [3] Et ait homini habenti manum aridam : Surge in medium. [4] Et dicit eis : Licet sabbatis benefacere, an male? animam salvam facere, an perdere? At illi tacebant. [5] Et circumspiciens eos cum ira, contristatus super cæcitate cordis eorum, dicit homini : Extende manum tuam. Et extendit, et restituta est manus illi. [6] Exeuntes autem pharisæi, statim cum Herodianis consilium faciebant adversus eum quomodo eum perderent.

Notes

1. He entered again. St Luke tells us this took place on another Sabbath (v. 7), not the Sabbath on which, the disciples plucked the ears of corn.

the synagogue of Capharnaum, where the Pharisees, whom He had recently rebuked, worshipped habitually.

withered hand. It was his right hand (St Luke vi. 6), the hand was dried up ; such a disease was beyond medical skill.

2. they watched him — i.e. the Scribes and Pharisees of Galilee, together with those who had come from Judea and Jerusalem — to find some accusation against Him.

watched. The word implies here, spying with malevolence, that they might accuse him.

3. Stand up : that the sad condition of the man might be seen, perhaps to induce pity in the hearts of the Pharisees, also to render the miracle visible to all present.

4. He saith. Jesus replied to their question, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days ? (St Matt. xii. 10), by the counter- question, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath day ?

do evil. To inflict some bodily injury, as opposed to saving a life. Not to deliver a person from suffering, when we can, is equivalent to inflicting the suffering. Sins of omission may be as grievous as sins of commission.

1. They held their peace. 

2. Looking round about, with anger. 

3. Being grieved for the blindness, etc. (These three details are peculiar to St Mark.)

held their peace. To have answered that it was right to heal on the Sabbath, would have justified our Lord’s merciful deed. To have denied the right, would have been contradicting their own traditions, which allowed medical aid to be given on the Sabbath when life was at stake.

5. looking round. Gazing on them with mingled feelings of anger and grief (or compassion) for their blindness. His divine regard fell on each as He looked round.

his hand was restored; " even as the other " (St Matt. xii. 13). Jesus cured the man without any exterior signs or words, and thus gave His accusers no ground for bringing a legal accusation against Him, since the miracle was performed by a volition which could not desecrate the Sabbath. This is one of the seven miracles worked on the Sabbath day.

6. made a consultation with the Herodians : — “ they were filled with madness, and they talked one with another, what they might do to Jesus ” (St Luke vi. 11),

Herodians. (See below)

The Herodians

It is generally supposed that the “ Herodians ” were the admirers and partisans of Herod, and hence their name. They constituted a political, rather than a religious, sect, and were generally bitterly opposed to the Pharisees. In joining with the Pharisees against our Lord (see St Mark iii. 6) they were animated by the hatred of His Divine Person, which they had in common with them. The Herodians adopted certain tenets of the Sadducees. They looked to Herod for deliverance from the Roman yoke, and also for positions of wealth and independence. They again made common cause with the Pharisees during Holy Week, when questioning our Lord with regard to the tribute to Caesar (xii. 13). They were self-indulgent, worldly men, and Jesus warned His disciples against them — e.g., Beware of the leaven of Herod. As Galilee was Herod’s tetrarchy, it was naturally full of his adherents. Jesus probably referred to them, when He said, “ behold, they that are clothed in soft garments are in the houses of kings ” (St Matt. xi. 8), for Jewish historians tell us that those scribes who attached themselves to Herod the Great’s party laid aside the garments distinctive of their profession, and adopted the gorgeous apparel of Herod’s courtiers. The later Herodians probably did the same, and Christ’s reference to “ the houses of kings ” may refer to the palace of Herod Antipas. St Mark only mentions the Herodians on the two occasions referred to above.

Jesus retires from His enemies

He healed many... J-J Tissot

[7] But Jesus retired with his disciples to the sea; and a great multitude followed him from Galilee and Judea, 

[8] And from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond the Jordan. And they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, hearing the things which he did, came to him. 

[9] And he spoke to his disciples that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him. 

[10] For he healed many, so that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had evils.
[11] And the unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him: and they cried, saying: 

[12] Thou art the Son of God. And he strictly charged them that they should not make him known.

[7] Jesus autem cum discipulis suis secessit ad mare : et multa turba a Galilæa et Judaea secuta est eum, [8] et ab Jerosolymis, et ab Idumæa, et trans Jordanem : et qui circa Tyrum et Sidonem multitudo magna, audientes quae faciebat, venerunt ad eum. [9] Et dicit discipulis suis ut navicula sibi deserviret propter turbam, ne comprimerent eum : [10] multos enim sanabat, ita ut irruerent in eum ut illum tangerent, quotquot habebant plagas. [11] Et spiritus immundi, cum illum videbant, procidebant ei : et clamabant, dicentes : [12] Tu es Filius Dei. Et vehementer comminabatur eis ne manifestarent illum.

Notes

Verses 7-12 are an exceedingly brief account of many mighty works which Jesus did during His Galilean ministry. But many of these cures would be more or less similar, hence the Evangelist condenses his account.

They came from all parts of Palestine...

7. retired. In consequence of the hostility of the Pharisees and Herodians. This is the third retirement of our Lord that St Mark mentions.

to the sea , i.e. of Galilee.

a great multitude followed. 

They came from all parts of Palestine:

from Galilee, Tyre and Sidon, north of Palestine.

from Judea and Jerusalem, central 

from Perea beyond the Jordan, on the east.

from Idumea, due south.

8. came to him. His fame had now spread through all the land. Not only multitudes followed Him, but crowds came to meet Him, hearing the things which he did.

9. a small ship. As Jesus could no longer preach in the synagogues, the boat served as a pulpit, whence He preached to the people. It also enabled Him to cross the lake whenever He desired.

10. evils. Bodily diseases or possessions of the devil.

11. unclean spirits. Those possessed by unclean spirits.

when = as often as they saw Him.

fell down before him. The devils use at their will, the limbs and organs of those in whom they are permitted to dwell.

12. strictly charged = sternly forbade them to proclaim His divinity as revealed by His works.

should not make him known. This charge may have been given either to those whom Jesus delivered, or to the unclean spirits themselves. Jesus doubtless acted thus —

(1) To avoid further exasperating His enemies.

(2) From a sentiment of humility.

(3) To correct the common opinion of the temporal reign of the Messiah.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

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