The Daily Word: Wednesday, February 17th, 2021
Leviticus 4:1-5:19
Mark 2:13-3:6
Psalm 36:1-12
Proverbs 10:1-2
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Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” – Mk. 3:1-3
Jesus came to the synagogue and encountered a man with a withered (“wasted away;” Hebrew xeraino[1]) hand. The rulers of the synagogue “watched [Jesus] closely” (v 2). They wanted to accuse Him of violating the Sabbath. But Jesus didn’t care about their silly games. He only cared about His mission.
He told the man to “step forward.” Notice there was action required on the part of the man who needed healing. He couldn’t stay where he was. He had to make forward progress. The onus was on him to actively demonstrate a willingness to come out of the crowd and onto center stage, acknowledging his need for a miracle.
In verse 5, Jesus made another request: “Stretch out your hand.” There is no hiding in the presence of God! He already knows what you need, but the question remains: will you admit you need something from Him? Will you allow yourself to be vulnerable in the presence of your Savior so that you can be healed? As the man stretched out his hand, “…his hand was restored as whole as the other” (v 5).
When Jesus tells you to step forward, step forward. When He tells you to stretch out your hand, stretch out your hand! Don’t hide your need for healing anymore. Bring that part of you that you don’t want to admit needs healing out of the darkness and into the light. And as you do, Jesus will restore you and make you whole.
Prayer:
Father, thank You for restoring me. I need healing! And I am not afraid to admit it. I will come to You for every need and every desire, and I know that You will heal me in Jesus’ name.
© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.
[1] https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/kjv/xeraino.html