Stretch Out Your Hand

In Mark 3:1–6, Jesus walks into a synagogue and into a trap. A man with a withered hand stands in the room. The Pharisees are watching closely, waiting to accuse. And Jesus does something bold. He calls the man to the center and asks a question that goes far beyond Sabbath rules: “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” This moment is not just about healing. It is about authority. About control. About who stands at the center. When Jesus restores the man’s hand, the religious leaders respond not with joy, but with a plot to destroy Him. Hard hearts refuse to celebrate restoration. And this is the turning point where the cross becomes inevitable. Rev. Tommy Allen, 3/1/26