Aneel Aranha's video: January 20 2021 - Repulsive Heart- A Reflection on Mark 3:1-6

Let us come forward to do good all the time, to move closer to God who is good all the time. https://youtu.be/WQiTnR0Btt0 “Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come forward.” Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.” We get upset because of many things on a daily basis? Those who get angry for everything that’s contrary to their choice, easily get attracted to all that is negative, they become curious about irrelevant matters, they fail to respect little things in life and also become very critical about people and situations all the time. It is very tough for such personalities to be reasonable and responsive to what life has to offer. In today’s gospel we learn that Jesus looked at those around him with anger, because these people were critical of the good He desired for those in need. Just like the Pharisees around Jesus, there are those in our own surroundings, communities and families, wait and watch to see who commits a mistake and how we can pin point those errors to attack them. They cannot stand neither the person who does good nor tolerate the fruit for his good deeds. The watchers in todays’ gospel who were waiting for a reason to accuse Jesus were convinced that He would have corrupted the Sabbath if He heals the man with a withered hand. But on the contrary Jesus gives them one more chance to have the right approach towards the Law before healing the man. But their response to His question was silence. This hardness of heart, this stubborn withdrawal from doing good for the needy, angers God. This is the sin of omission and many people are ignorant of this fact and therefore do not recognise the need to repent for it and confess. By helping someone experience the power of God is one way to keep the Sabbath holy, and that is exactly what Jesus taught in today’s gospel by restoring perfect health to the withered hand of this man. But this is precisely what the Pharisees were least interested to do and that too under the pretext of breaking the Law of the Sabbath. Dear Friends, there is a lot of brokenness in the world. There are a lot many people not only with withered hands but also with withered hearts. Some have the inability to do physical work due to ailments but many show inability to even desire the good of the other. They even discourage those who have the desire to do good. This is because of the hardness of their heart. God who gives to us freely, wants us to share the goodness with others freely and willingly. Let us not use God’s message to obstruct goodness in life, rather may we construct a world with doers of good in life.