Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Father in Heaven, please never let my heart become hardened because of my religious zeal. I want to be passionate in my faith, but I never want to become so blind that I distort your will and end up hurting those you want to bless. Keep my heart soft—open to you and to those whom you want me to touch with your grace. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue. In the synagogue there was a man with a crippled hand. Some Jews there were watching Jesus closely. They were waiting to see if he would heal the man on a Sabbath day. They wanted to see Jesus do something wrong so that they could accuse him. Jesus said to the man with the crippled hand, "Stand up here so that all the people can see you." Then Jesus asked the people, "Which thing is right to do on the Sabbath day: to do good, or to do evil? Is it right to save a life or to destroy one?" The people said nothing to answer Jesus. Jesus looked at the people. He was angry. But he felt very sad because they were stubborn. Jesus said to the man, "Let me see your hand." The man put his hand out for Jesus, and it was healed. Then the Pharisees left and made plans with the Herodians about a way to kill Jesus.

Related Scripture Readings

I can say this about the Jews: They really try to follow God. But they don't know the right way. They did not know the way that God makes people right with him. And they tried to make themselves right in their own way. So they did not accept God's way of making people right. Christ ended the law so that every person that believes in him is made right with God.

Jesus left there and went back to his home town. His followers went with him. On the Sabbath day Jesus taught in the synagogue. Many people heard him teach and were amazed. These people said, "Where did this man get this teaching? How did he get this wisdom? Who gave it to him? And where did he get the power to do miracles ? {Surely, not from God!} He is only the carpenter. And his mother is Mary. He is the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters are here with us." The people did not accept Jesus. Jesus said to the people, "Other people give honor to a prophet. But in his own town with his own people and in his own home, a prophet does not get honor." Jesus was not able to do many miracles in that town. The only miracles he did were to heal some sick people by putting his hands on them. Jesus was very surprised because those people did not have faith. Then Jesus went to other villages in that area and taught.

But you obey the law Moses gave you the law about circumcision —and sometimes you do it on a Sabbath day. (Really, Moses is not the one that gave you circumcision. Circumcision came from our people {that lived before Moses}.) Yes, you often circumcise babies on a Sabbath day. This shows that a person can be circumcised on a Sabbath day to obey the law of Moses. So why are you angry at me for healing a person's whole body on the Sabbath day? Stop judging by the way things look. Be fair and judge by what is really right."