Dealing with Pressure

SCRIPTURE

Mark 3:1 ¶ He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered.
Mark 3:2 They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.
Mark 3:3 He *said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!”
Mark 3:4 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.
Mark 3:5 After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He *said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

OBSERVATION
It’s fair to say that Jesus was under the magnifying glass of the religious leader’s of the day. They were ‘watching’ Him! The N.T. Greek word indicates more than observing something or merely looking at someone. It reveals the inspection or investigation of someone with the motive of doing something insidious or unscrupulous. How would you like that pressure? How would you feel if people were looking at you and the purpose was to belittle or pick you apart? What about a boss who is looking for a reason to fire you? The religious people found plenty of things in Jesus that didn’t live up to their idea of godliness and proper leadership. I have discovered that what you look for will usually be found and the motive will reveal the purity of your pursuit. This was surely true of these people.

Jesus, however, did not allow their twisted view of leadership and life to thwart His decision to follow the Fathers lead. He healed on the Sabbath day, knowing this would be like wood the religious leaders could use to fuel a fire. They should have repented for their misguided understanding of the Sabbath day principle but they used this as an opportunity to accuse Him. Verse 5 tells us that Jesus, with anger and deep distress about their stubborn hearts, told the man to stretch out your hand. When he obeyed, the hand was restored and made whole like the other one. Our anger is often self serving but this was a righteous anger. JESUS is my hero!



APPLICATION

I refuse to allow any opinion that emanates within man to override the opinion of God.
I will continue to do what God has shown me to do rather than yield to the pressures of public opinion. I am reminded of Romans 12 when Paul reminds us that we will face pressures from the world and these pressures will seek to shape us into the worlds image. He says this: Rom. 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. NIV. We must ever forget that we are created in God’s image and must resist any plan, people or pressure that seeks to alter God’s original intent.

PRAYER

O Lord, give me the courage to stand in the midst of opposition and fulfill the assignment given to me by you.