Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
—Mark 3:1-6

Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ ”
—Matthew 15:1-9

~~~~~

Love Over Tradition
By Jennifer Kane

When rules replace relationship,
And tradition overshadows compassion,
We drift from the heart of God.

Have I let ritual silence mercy?
Have I clung to habit more than love?
Do I resist doing good
Because it threatens my comfort or routine?

Lord of the Sabbath, search me.
Heal the places where pride and fear
Disguise themselves as devotion.

I don’t want to honor You
With lips full of law
And hands too clean to touch the hurting.

Teach me to choose mercy over rule,
Kindness over custom,
Love over law.

Help me see as You see—
Not crowds, but sheep without a shepherd.
Not sinners to avoid,
But souls to embrace.

Give me courage to obey
With a heart tender and true,
Even when love breaks my expectations.

~~~~~

Scriptures: Mark 3:1–6, Matthew 15:1–9

When Jesus entered the synagogue in Mark 3, He didn’t just encounter a man with a withered hand—He confronted a room full of hardened hearts. The Pharisees weren’t gathered to worship but to watch, waiting to accuse Him if He dared to heal on the Sabbath. Yet Jesus saw not just a hand in need of healing, but an opportunity to expose the deeper sickness: legalism that stifled love.

The Pharisees taught that only life-saving care was permissible on the Sabbath. Healing a deformed hand? That could wait. But Jesus—Lord of the Sabbath—asks, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save life or to kill?” (Mark 3:4). Their silence condemned them. They knew healing was good, but they clung to their traditions rather than yield to truth.

The irony is sharp: while Jesus brings restoration, the Pharisees plot His death. Thus here we see a bitter contradiction—plotting murder on the Sabbath, the very day set apart for rest and life.

This heart posture is echoed in Matthew 15, where Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for elevating human tradition above God’s command to honor one’s parents. Their lips honored God, but their hearts were far from Him (Matthew 15:8). When rules replace relationship, and tradition overrides compassion, we miss the heart of God.

Jesus wants more than our rituals—He wants our hearts. Love fulfills the law (Romans 13:10), and true obedience expresses itself through mercy, not mechanics. The Sabbath was made for man’s well-being—not to burden, but to bless. Likewise, our faith must be rooted in love, not legalism.

Have I ever let tradition or habit take precedence over compassion?
Do I resist doing good because it conflicts with my expectations or routines?

~~~~~

Lord God, soften my heart. I don’t want to honor You with empty traditions while ignoring Your call to love. Teach me to choose mercy over rules, and to see people as You do. Help me obey You with a heart full of love, even when it challenges my assumptions. Thank you, Jesus, for helping me serve in love today, amen.

April 29 2025