Wednesday, January 22, 2003
2nd Week in Ordinary Time

1st Reading: Heb 7:1-3, 15-17
Gospel: Mk 3:1-6

Again Jesus entered the synagogue. A man who had a paralyzed hand was there and some people watched Jesus: Would he heal the man on the sabbath? If he did they could accuse him.

Jesus said to the man with the paralyzed hand, "Stand here in the center." Then he asked them, "What does the Law allow us to do on the sabbath? To do good or to do harm? To save life or to kill?" But they were silent.
Then Jesus looked around at them with anger and deep sadness because they had closed their minds. And he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out and his hand was healed. But as soon as the Pharisees left, they met with Herod's supporters, looking for a way to destroy Jesus.

Gospel Commentary

Anger and grief mix in Jesus' heart when he is faced once again with a legalism that is unmoved by human misery and suffering. Yet that anger and grief were surely relieved by the great hope and faith of the man with the withered hand. Jesus tells him to do the impossible. His hand is withered; yet Jesus calls him to stretch it. His response could have simply been a hopeless or angry dismissal of the impossible demands of this stranger. Yet, moved somehow to trust, he attempts the impossible, stretches the useless hand, and receives healing for his trust. Do we learn something from him about our own healing?

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