Jesus looked around at them in anger…
The story is found in Mark 3. Jesus entered the synagogue on the Sabbath. Early in his ministry, Jesus’s reputation blossomed, along with the jealousy of other teachers.
On this day, a man with a crippled hand sat near Jesus. Jesus healed him and made the point that the laws of the Sabbath, laws handed to Moses from the Lord, were given for good, for human flourishing, for life. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath.
I’m struck by the anger shown by Jesus. Distressed by their stubborn hearts, Jesus’s eyes flashed anger – not compassion nor patience. Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, left the building.
I don’t think of an angry Jesus very often. Perhaps I should.
Week One of Reading the Bible Cover to Cover
Jesus tends to reserve his anger for the most religious, and I’ve always found it interesting/troubling that many of the “most religious” in our day seem to completely miss that. I can relate to his deep frustration with them in this chapter – “How can you so completely miss the point?!”
Amen to that thought, Kerri. We see that again and again, but the reality fails to sink in.