All of us have hurts and a story of a withered hand. Allowing ourselves to be restored by our Lord is the story to tell, bringing further worship to Him. Why is it so easy to lose sight of what He has done and become one of the Pharisees? It is easy for me to judge and search for confirmation that I’m right. May God continually renew each of us to be more in love with Him because of His love.
“The gospel writer recorded two things Jesus felt toward the Pharisees: anger and grief (Mark 3:5). He was angry at their rigid thinking. He was grieved by “their hardness of heart.” Their rigid thinking produced an obstinate stubbornness that refused to consider anything other than their own position. It blocked their ability to feel compassion for one in need. Jesus grieved what he saw in them. They refused to think. They refused to learn. They chose to be blind.” - Excerpt. Following Jesus: Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark by Steve Langford
“When we understand the mystery that we are loved not for what we do but because of who God says we are, we are free to love others in a similar way. Discerning what to do and who to serve changes radically when we know we love from God’s love and serve from God’s heart. The very places where we might be called open wider as we understand that announcing God’s love for the poor, the wounded, and the sick is at the heart of all responses to the truth and that we all are the beloved ones of God.” - Henri Nouwen
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