SCRIPTURE: Mark 3
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. [Mark 3:5]
Jesus must have often felt anger and deep distress about the stubborn hearts of the people He came to help.
This passage shows the religious leaders not getting it – that is, not getting Who God is or what God is about.

The heart of God’s mission is to seek and to save the lost, to restore the broken, to heal with sick, to set the captives free.
God’s compassion for all people is what is behind His rescue operation through the nation of Israel.
The children of Abraham were supposed to be a blessing to the nations.
This is also the calling of Jesus’ followers.
It involves going out of our way to bless others, to the point where people (even our own family) will think we’re crazy.
Others will even accuse us of serving Satan – this is happening today to those who love and serve in the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender) community.

But Jesus makes it plain that the people He calls family are those who are joining with Him in demonstrating the love of God, in helping the weak, the lost, the broken.
He is raising up an army of Jesus-followers who like Him spend themselves on loving and serving others.

Those who think that the way of God is about building churches, holding worship services, following rules and rituals, being religious, etc. are missing the point.
And I suspect that Jesus is still getting angry and deeply distressed because of our stubborn hearts.
He is not just looking for believers, He is looking for doers (whoever does God’s will), and He models exactly the kind of doing we are called to do.
It’s not a doing that earns God’s love and forgiveness, but a doing that happens because we are already loved and forgiven, and because we believe that God wants everyone to experience the blessing of His love and forgiveness.

If my ‘christianity’ (I dislike that word) is nothing more than going to church, avoiding certain sins, frowning upon those who practice those sins, and giving a bit of money and time to doing good (though the bulk of our time and money is for ourselves), then we are missing the point.
Like the first disciples, Jesus is calling us to full-time kingdom service, dedicating our all to His mission and purpose – even if people call us crazy.

PRAYER:
Lord, I want to be fully devoted to You and Your mission, I want to join You in sharing God’s love to everyone, using all that I’ve got for You, for others.