Blind to the Obvious Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Blind to the Obvious--------------------------------------- Date: 10/17/2002 Keywords: "restore” “Sabbath” “withered hand" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Mark 2:28-3:6* 28. “So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” 1. He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. 2. They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3. He said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!” 4. And He said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5. After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, “Stretch out you hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6. The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him. Questions 1. Look up who the Pharisees and Herodians are. Would they normally be friends of one another?   2. When people play games with God, who invariably wins? In what ways were the legalists in this story absolutely foolish? Have you ever been in their shoes?   Practical help It would seem to me that if Jesus were able to cause a withered hand to become whole simply by speaking, the people who witnessed this miracle would have stopped long enough to do a few simple calculations. For example, never in a trillion years do I think I could talk a crippled hand into health. Yet instead of falling at his feet, the “spiritual” leaders looked for ways to destroy him. Their reaction doesn’t make sense. This story shows us that selfishness, greed and lust for power blind our eyes to truth. Most people involved in pornography have already learned by experience that it drains people emotionally, spiritually, relationally, economically and physically. Yet how often do porn addicts attempt to discredit God in order to preserve their “harmless” entertainment? What can we learn from the man with the hand? Just this. If your hand (or heart) has been burned by playing in the fire, forget the voices of the crowd and run to Jesus. He will restore you. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2002 by eXXit *"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission." -----