Mark 3:5
And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
KJV

****************

As I study today's verse I notice a strange action in Jesus as He sets out to heal a man from having a withered hand. The scripture says that Jesus was actually angry when He performed this miracle. The reason He was angry is because the religious leaders who were watching Him were appalled with what He was doing. It upsets the Lord when people who claim to be compassionate believers in God get so wrapped up in traditions and religious rules that they forget what it's like to have real compassion for others around them. People use their position in the church assemblies to dominate those whom they are supposed to be teaching and helping grow in the knowledge of Christ, and when this happens it angers God, for they are doing just the opposite of what they are supposed to be doing, which is to have love for others and to show mercy to all. Jesus was upset because the religious leaders showed distain toward Him for doing the will of God on the sabbath, stating that He was performing work on a religious day, while He knew that in their heart they would excuse themselves from working on the same day if one of their investments of livestock were to fall into a ditch. What Jesus was angry about, was not because the religious leaders would work on the sabbath while condemning Him, but rather it made Him mad that those religious people would set the value of an animal above the value of a human soul. We must show more love and compassion for other people than we show for animals, while understanding that it's right to do good at all times, regardless whether it's a religious day of worship or an ordinary day of the week. It's time that the church start setting people free from their bondages by teaching and doing the will of God at all times, instead of trying to put more condemnation on the ones who are truly working to help lighten the burden of others who are already carrying heavy loads. Let's honestly do something different and try being Christian instead of religious.

~~~~~~~~~

Are we adding to the burden of others by condemning them for what they do different from us; or do we truly get excited and  praise the Lord when watching someone else do the will of God in the lives of those around them?