And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. Mark 3:5

Gentle Jesus,

We are awed by your anger—

first of all, many of us have never noticed 

that you become angry, 

while others have only associated you with a God 

who they think is an angry, tyrannical Father. 

May we see how utterly different your anger is. 

The Pharisees are trying to trap you. 

They have planted a man with a withered hand 

in the synagogue, 

just to see if you would, 

in their minds, 

break the law 

by healing on the Sabbath. 

You know what they’re up to, 

and you ask the question 

that should point them to the truth, 

“Is it lawful on the Sabbath 

to do good, or to do harm, 

to save life, or to kill?” (Mark 3:4). 

Their silence provokes your anger. 

What are you angry about? 

Their lack of compassion toward a suffering man. 

Where does your anger lead? 

To grief. 

You are grieved at their hardness of heart. 

You do not yell, 

nor do you give them the silent treatment, 

nor do you hold them in contempt. 

Instead, you heal the wounded man.  

Oh, Lord, how we want our anger 

to become like your anger. 

Anger at injustice and unrighteousness. 

Anger at legalism that looks away from the suffering. 

Anger that quickly turns to grief and even compassion. 

Anger that does not criticize 

nor judge 

nor withdraw in silence 

nor attack. 

Lord, we hear you calling us 

to hold out our stubborn, angry hearts. 

We ask you to heal, 

to transform our anger, 

that we might be more like you. 

In your healing name. Amen.

Read Mark 3:1-6.