You've Been Invited: Mark 3:1-3
Are you willing to follow Jesus? If this is a Sunday School question, the answer is yes. Following Jesus is the effect that comes with a restored relationship with God. Becoming more like Jesus is one of our primary goals. What Christian wouldn’t follow Jesus, right?
Jesus once more goes into the synagogue. We typically think of religious gatherings as safe spaces; but for Jesus they were not. The synagogues are where the religious elite become the strongest and most plentiful. The religious bigshots went to synagogue and had dominion there. The Bible says the religious elite watched Him. They looked for a reason to accuse Jesus.
From Jesus’ perspective, going into the synagogue is a bit like going into a pit of vipers. So long as Jesus plays it cool and calm, nobody gets bit. Should Jesus make any startling move, someone is going to get bit.
Jesus doesn’t hesitate. Jesus knows the trap and walks into it. Conflict is coming and Jesus holds His head up strong and charges in. Want a superhero? This is a superhero. Jesus knows the trap is laid and He is more than willing to step in and take it. Instead of running away from trouble, He heads toward it.
In this synagogue, there is a person with a withered hand. This condition diminished his role in the community. It probably was a source of shame or humiliation. It likely impacted his identity – both the identity he had for himself as well as the identity the community gave to him. Jesus, knowing full well that His surroundings are as safe as a pit of vipers, invites this man to Him.
We don’t know for sure if the man knew the circumstances. Perhaps he innocently followed Jesus hoping to get picked as the miracle of the day. Perhaps he listened to the gossip in the synagogue as people see Jesus enter, feeling the tension in the room increase. He may have been innocently hoping to be healed; he may have been nervous about being selected and potentially joining Jesus as the target.
The trap is set. All eyes are watching to scrutinize every word that Jesus says and every action He does. Jesus turns to a man who already has a scarred identity and tells him to join Jesus in the trap. Jesus literally said, “Come into the middle.”
A couple of days ago Jesus said he came not to be with the righteous, but to work with the sick. Working with the spiritually sick often means going places we might not want to go. Working with the spiritually sick means putting ourselves under the scrutiny of others, enduring their judgment, and making sacrifices. If we want to walk with Jesus, we need to be willing to walk where He goes and go into the trap with Him. When He invites us into the middle with Him, we need to step up and step in. Are you willing to follow Jesus?
