Mark 3:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Behold the compassion of the Lord: He placed the man with withered limbs at the forefront (cf. Lk. 6:8) to touch their hearts through the display of his suffering, hoping that the weight of this sight would lead them to abandon their deceit and feel shame for their treatment of him, thus urging them to rise above their base instincts. Yet these resolute adversaries of humanity would rather tarnish the glory of Christ than witness the restoration of the man with withered limbs. Their malice is evident in every action, as they strive to obstruct Christ so fervently that they hinder His ability to bestow His blessings upon others.

This is the reason the Lord poses the question to the Jews, ‘shall we do good on the Sabbath?’ as He reprimands them for obstructing His ability to perform acts of kindness.

In the following two Sabbaths, the significance of the Sabbath and the sanctity of its rest, which had not been fully addressed due to recent controversies with the Pharisees, were explained more comprehensively. The first instance occurred when the Lord’s disciples, while traveling from Jerusalem and finding themselves hungry, plucked ears of grain from a field and ate them after rubbing them with their hands. The second instance involved the miraculous healing of a man with a withered hand in the synagogue, accomplished solely through Christ's command without any other action. This incident took place in Galilee.

On a different Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in a synagogue where a man with a withered right hand was present. The scribes and Pharisees were observing Him closely, eager to see if He would break the Sabbath by performing a healing on this afflicted individual. They not only kept silent watch but also, as noted by Matthew, presented Him with a provoking inquiry to test Him. The Lord then called the man with the withered hand to stand before them and asked the Pharisees, "Which of you, having a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lift it out?" He continued, "Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath, or to do evil? To save life or to destroy it?" (Mark, Luke).

In an effort to clarify that performing righteous deeds on the Sabbath is not wrong, Jesus instructs the man with a withered hand to rise and stand in the center of the synagogue for all to witness. He then challenges the Pharisees with the inquiry, "What is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to destroy it?" (Luke 6:9). They remained silent, caught off guard and unable to formulate a response in line with their traditions. Their silence indicated a lack of understanding of the question posed.

Christ did not leave them in confusion for long. He first instructed the man with the withered hand to come forward and stand in their midst. Then, He placed before them a question that resided in their hearts, framing it in such a manner as to reveal its true significance: “Is it lawful,” He asked, “to do good on the Sabbath, or to do harm? To save a life, or to destroy it?” The answer was clear, yet it was obvious that their intention was not to seek or uphold the truth. Their aim was merely to observe His actions, looking for grounds to accuse Him before the Sanhedrin or to label Him as a Sabbath violator. Consequently, they responded to His question with a deliberate and impenetrable silence. However, Christ was determined not to let them evade the scrutiny of their own conscience.

"What actions are appropriate on the Sabbath?" It appears that the Jewish tradition held a belief akin to a proverb: failing to assist a neighbor when the opportunity arises constitutes wrongdoing; neglecting to save a neighbor's life results in their ruin. Indeed, if a person has the chance to rescue their neighbor and refrains from doing so, they bear responsibility for that neighbor's demise; similarly, if one has the opportunity to perform a good deed for another and chooses inaction, they commit an offense. From this fundamental moral understanding, the Lord inquires of the Pharisees whether the affliction of this unfortunate individual should be alleviated on the Sabbath or if he should be left to suffer in silence.