Jesus created factions, fans, and followers.  Your heart determined which group you would join.  It still does.  If you have a heart for the things of this world and seek those things, you cannot help but be placed into the group that forms factions, seeking power, typically by intrigue and manipulation.  Jesus was a threat to their power. 

If you have a heart for yourself and you seek your best interest at all times, you would be a fan of Jesus.  This is definitely the largest group surrounding Jesus, then and now.  Jesus would turn sorrow into joy.  He would heal your pain.  He was a good ace in the hole for those who wanted a better life.  These became fans of Jesus for what He would do for them. 

The last group is the rarest.  These are followers of Jesus.  Their hearts are set upon His heart.  They want what He wants.  Therefore, they follow Him, not for selfish reasons but for selfless reasons.  They are trying to follow His example.  They (might I say ‘we’), are trying to give our lives away.  Which group would (do) you fall into?

When Jesus came into the synagogue, He met a man with a withered hand.  This man was, unknowingly to him, the bait.  The factions were watching to see IF Jesus WOULD heal the man.  IF He WOULD – not – if He could.  You see, they knew He could.  They struggled with their tradition being more important than people.  It seems harsh.  They preferred to please a day of the week rather than meet the needs of people.  How disgraceful.  How are we like these Pharisees?

The religious leaders knew when Jesus saw this man that He would inevitably do something to help him, when He saw the need. In this sense, these critics had more faith than many do today. Their heart, not their faith, was the issue of these critics.  The same is true today.  We blame faith for the doubt we, or others, have; when in fact, it is our heart that is the problem.  We sometimes question that Jesus would meet our needs or the needs of others. Listen closely…JESUS MEETS NEEDS!  If it is not met, it is not a need – it is a want!

Jesus begins the lesson, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?”  In His question to the religious leaders, Jesus emphasizes the truth for us concerning the Sabbath: there is never a wrong day to do something good! 

You have heard me tell you many silly laws the Pharisees enacted for the Sabbath. According to their Sabbath traditions, if you cut your finger, you could stop the bleeding - but you could not put ointment on the cut. You could stop it from getting worse, but you weren’t allowed to make it better.  This is not the Spirit of Christ, but man.  How have we done the same thing with the law; either the Law of Moses or our laws of tradition?

This passage is one of the few places where Jesus is angry.  He is angry at the hardness of men’s hearts. Define anger in your own words before you read any further:

We are rarely angry for the same reason Jesus was angry. Our anger typically comes from feeling hurt or from not getting our way.  We rarely become angry from the outrage of hard hearts before Jesus.  Jesus was angry for very good reason.  He had the critic’s best interest at heart.  This was a perfect opportunity for them to change their mind about Jesus and their traditions. But they refused to change their hearts, and rejected Jesus instead.  The issue was not about faith but about selfish, power-hungry hearts.