Friday - The Gospel According To Mark

Feb 13, 2026

Welcome to Daily Prayer. This week we have looked at four stories from Mark chapter two with four questions that reveal something about Jesus’ identity, authority and mission. Today we look at a story of Jesus healing a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath and a question he asks the Pharisees, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”

As we begin our time together, let’s be still in the presence of the Lord.

Lord, you are with me. I am with you. I give you my attention and I give you my heart.

Lord satisfy me today with your unfailing love that I would rejoice and be glad.

Soften my heart so that I am moved by the needs of those around me. Teach me to love.

I come to receive your Word and be shaped by you.

O Lord, open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise.

A Scripture Reading from Mark 3:1-6

3 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus,[a] 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.

In this story Jesus intentionally confronts a system that valued rule-keeping over human restoration. Having just declared himself Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus now reveals the fruit of the Pharisees’ legalism: hardened hearts and blindness to human need. Their eyes are on the wrong things. The man with the withered hand likely lived with poverty, shame, exclusion, daily dependence, yet the religious leaders could not truly see him because they lacked love.

By asking, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save life or to kill?” Jesus exposes their unwillingness to recognize his authority and their resistance to mercy. While they wanted to be known for strict obedience to the law, Jesus wanted his people to be known for compassion, restoration, and love.

A Prayer of Adoration:

Jesus, this passage reveals your courage to speak life-giving words and do life-giving things in the face of opposition. You demonstrated costly mercy. You are the Lord of the Sabbath. You are the one who decides what true worship looks like. You are the one who defines the boundaries for God’s people. These Pharisees were protecting the boundaries and building a fence to keep their culture intact and you were displaying the heart of God and making a broken man whole. Your wisdom is amazing. Your power is amazing. Your heart is amazing.

You are grieved and angered by silence and hardness in the face of suffering.

Lord, I’m amazed at how you called the man to trust you by stretching out his withered hand. As soon as he trusted you, he was healed. In this passage, you exposed religious hypocrisy, healed the disability, restored his honor, and revealed God’s heart and for that, I adore you.

A Prayer of Confession:

Lord, forgive us for caring more about keeping the rules than keeping our hearts in line with yours. Forgive us for being silent and hardhearted in the face of pain, shame, or hardship. Forgive us for placing ourselves in the position of judge when Jesus is the Lord. We want to speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom. Your Word teaches us that mercy triumphs over judgment. Make us people of mercy!

A Prayer of Trust:

Lord Jesus, you are the ultimate revelation of the father’s heart for those who are helpless, harassed, excluded, ashamed, and in need of forgiveness and healing. I trust that you are the healer. You are the answer to the brokenness and shame in this world. You are the model of faithfulness and restoration.

A Prayer of Intercession:

Lord, this passage shows me what you highly value and what grieves you. I also see how different things would be if these values were powerfully real in our community. Do it in us Lord. Reframe how we view our lives and others around us. You value salvation and doing good. Lord make us a people of healing and restoration. We want to go about your kingdom business of healing, restoring honor, standing up and speaking up for those in need. Tenderize our hearts to see and care Lord.

We especially pray for Night to Shine tonight. Lord, display your heart tonight! Use this celebration to restore dignity wherever it is needed and to give joy to your people. In any way that families have felt shame or disgrace, heal them by your grace. Lord, display your heart tonight! Give us your eyes of love and may families experience your love in a tangible way tonight.

As we listen to the passage again, let’s listen for a word or phrase that the Holy Spirit may want to say to us from todays verses.

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus,[a] 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.

And now Our Weekly Passage to Memorize together:

Mark 2:17

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Lord, thank you that you came to bring healing and restoration for all who would look to you for life.

Let’s pray the Lord’s Prayer Together as we close:

Our Father who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

Your kingdom come

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven

Give us this day our daily bread and

Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil