CLARITY in Crisis, and CLARITY Through Crisis

Text:  Mark 2:27 – 3:4 -  And He [Jesus] said unto them [the Pharisees], The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. And He entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched Him, whether He would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse Him. And He said unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. And He said unto them Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

Whether believing, disbelieving, or misbelieving, one particular cripple, having a withered hand, found himself in the normal place for a sabbath day, the synagogue, to appreciate the normal religious things of that meeting time, moderated by those assigned to lead the gathering. By scripture we do not know if he came with high hopes for something greater than normal, or if it was simply his sabbath routine, due to be done with. The community certainly stirring with reports of Jesus doing great stuff, healing people, no doubt had come to his attention, maybe even the fantastic report of the four fellows busting through a roof top to get Jesus to fix their friend sick with a palsy, with him indeed getting healed. The murmur may have even included that Jesus had forgiven this man of his sins! Whatever his thoughts and feelings were, he was in the synagogue, sabbath day, when Jesus showed up.
    
The crisis here was just what to believe, and what direction to take. Clarity for the Pharisees was their religious tradition, giving stability for generations- but the crisis, Jesus. Clarity for the cripple may have been, adjustment, acceptance, and retirement being crippled- but the crisis, hope for healing by way of this stranger, Jesus, hope for revival, hope that God is real.
'Clarity' can be the victim, when God is not known, and that is the crisis, whether presenting in a corn field, or an esteemed sanctuary. Despite crisis in its many forms, when God arrives, crisis can become the birthing place for a good thing; a cripple can receive a new future, affixed with a new and vibrant hope.

It is reasonable to assume that on healing the withered hand of the cripple, Jesus likely impacted his fullest needs as well. [see Mark2:21] To restore a fallen man's hand, without restoring his soul, will only get you a more capable fallen man; much as patching up a worn out, raggedy shirt, with a new patch. The whole thing needs a do-over: Or, as in the case of our guy in the spotlight, a new nature is due.  His act of faith was to obey, and stretch forth his hand, and then to look what the Lord done did!

I think that it's fair to say that there's that which is understandable, that which is yet to be understood, and then there is our moving [and limited] capacity to understand, met by obscuring and enabling influences all about [some tangible, and many not so much]. It's also amazing to know that some clarity just doesn't happen until faithfulness acts first [and some, likely most, clarity will not occur until we are 'on the other side'] In crisis, foundational grace must speak loudest within us, that we might at least raise the question IN THIS, HOW OUGHT MY WORSHIP BE? And with 'blessed assurance', then we step, or reach, even if by measure, it is only of mustard-seed quantity.

Clarity has come, and as we step, clarity is coming through the Spirit within us, through grace which is foundational as well as transformational. May our freedom in Christ permit us, our daily 'yes', or 'no', suitable for blessing, meanwhile knowing crisis is normal, and clarity, a gift to be walked out, and as a gem, a possession to polish.

Prayer:   Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for Your grace, and Your mercy. Help me to repent of my 'withered hand' that I may be cherishing, to the exclusion of having You as completely as I can, today. Help me with a living courage, that is strong enough to listen and to wait, as well as to leap when needed. Make my hope as Yours, for me, with the faithfulness You require and are pleased with, I pray- in Your blessed name.

(by Dr. McNeal Brockington)