TOPIC:"The Anger of Our Lord"
"And when He had looked round about on them with anger" (Mark 3:5)
Let us not deny the fact that there were times in the life of our Lord when He was capable of getting angry. Though this is the only time here in the story of the man with the withered hand that the word “anger” is used to characterize the actions of Jesus, let us realize that He did display and demonstrate His anger on other occasions.
Such nonmalicious indignation by Jesus neither flawed His character nor cast a shadow on His sinlessness. It only goes to show that it is possible to exhibit anger and not sin. How do I know? Because Jesus did it. You see, it all depends on what makes us angry and what we do with our anger. Jesus expressed His anger by correcting difficult problems. From the words of our text let's trace out together the answer to the angriness of Jesus.
Consider, to begin with, the PEOPLE on whom the anger of Jesus DESCENDED. Give ear again to the words of our text: "And when He had looked round about on them with anger." Here the indignation of Jesus is poured forth on the PHARISEES. Pharisee means “separated one.” They were a religious group of Jews who zealously followed not only Old Testament law, but their own religious traditions which were many. They were the separatists, the nonconformists who were loyal to the truth but became proud and hypocritical. As a matter of fact, because of their contemptible beliefs, Jesus didn't even want to be around them. We read in verse 7 these words: "But Jesus withdrew Himself with His disciples to the sea."
Here in the story before us in the synagogue on the Sabbath the keen eyes of Jesus beheld a poor man with a withered hand. The NIV has it: “a shriveled hand.” Others have it: “a crippled hand.” It was a paralyzed hand. It was the practice of the Pharisees to permit healing on the Sabbath only if a person was in danger of dying. Since this man's problem was not life-threatening, they demanded that he wait until the next day to be healed. And if Jesus took it upon Himself to immediately heal this man, the Pharisees believed it would violate and desecrate the Sabbath. . . .