Mark 3: Jesus says, “Come Here.”

Key Verse
3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.”
 
Meditation
From His steadfast love, God extends an invitation to come to Him. 
 
God’s invitation is ancient, proclaimed by the prophet Isaiah, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come…” (Isaiah 55:1) His invitation is eternal, echoing at the end of Scripture: "The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come!'” (Revelation 22:17). The fullest expression of God’s invitation comes through Jesus, who declares, “Come to Me, all who are weary… (Matthew 11:28-30).
 
In today’s reading, Jesus’ invitation to “Come here” is both personal and problematic. For the man with a withered hand, Jesus’ personal invitation meant healing. For the religious leaders who twisted sabbath regulations to “destroy” Jesus (v. 6), the man’s faith in Jesus was problematic. We see that opposition does not stop the invitation.  Crowds continue to come to Jesus (vv. 7-12) and Jesus calls “those whom He desired” to be with Him as disciples in order to be sent out (vv. 13-19).
 
Jesus’ invitation inevitably creates distinction for those who believe, drawing lines within communities (even within families- vv. 20-22), because those who respond to Jesus’ gracious invitation to “Come” will obey Jesus from a deeper belonging. Believers have a new primary identity in Christ and a new primary community in His Body. Disciples are Jesus’ true family (vv. 31-35), those who know God’s grace and “do the will of God.” To love Jesus is to obey Jesus (John 14:15). 

Jesus still offers this intimate invitation: “Come here!” So whether you hand is withered or heart is weary, Jesus invites you to come to Him. 
 
Today’s Reading
Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.”4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

A Great Crowd Follows Jesus
7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea 8 and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him.9 And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, 10 for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him.11 And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

The Twelve Apostles
13 And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons. 16 He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); 18 Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

20 Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” 23 And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Jesus' Mother and Brothers
31 And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” 33 And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially how the personal call of Jesus to come creates problems with those who do not belive?

-Where do you see how the call of Christ draws a distinction in our culture and the community you are a part of? How is this an invitation for you to demonstrate the love of Jesus even to those who reject Jesus?

-To respond to Jesus’ invitation to “come” is to know His love and show Him love through obedience. Where, specifically, do you need to love Jesus through obedience?

Key Verse
3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.”