But they remained silent

Mark 3 (New International Version)

[ 1Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."

4Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.

5 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. ]

I'm working my way through the Gospel of Mark at the moment. I came upon this passage in the 3rd Chapter the the other day and was captured by these words, "But they remained silent." My righteous indignation flared quickly, how dare those Pharisees care more about the adherence of man made rules than the well being of a human being. How could men of good intentions get so busy chasing after God that they completely lost sight of Him? How could they care so little for another human being? How could anyone object that a man be cured of an ailment simply because of the day of the week? It saddened me, it made me angry, it made me so frustrated with this intolerance in the name of religion.

When my frustrated anger had calmed what happens often with the reading of scripture happened to me. My frustration of someone else quieted and the mirror turned back at me.

How much of my life have I spent worried about the 'rules' of Christianity and not about loving my Lord? How often have I ignored my fellow humans or had no problem looking the other way to the weak and hurting around me because I was so 'busy' being a Christian?

I was saddened to think that too often I care more about the appearance of my faith and the rules we have concocted around what it means to be a 'Christian' than about the people around me. What good is my Christianity, my faith, if it has no regard or love for my neighbor?
Father forgive me, for too often I am the one who has 'remained silent.' Change me into a man who loves those around him, simply because they are created in the image of my God. Change me into a man who loves God more than appearances.