Gleans from Monday Bible Study with Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
DLBC Gbagada HQ
27th May 2019
Study 12 – CHRIST POWER TO HEAL DESPITE THE CRITICS’ PRESENCE
Text – Mark 3:1-6; 2:28; Philippians 2:9-11; 1 Corinthians 2:7,8
“And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace” (Mark 3:4). For those who were watching Him, they couldn’t answer that simple question whether it was right, good, righteous to do good on a Sabbath day or to do evil. Already, you understand that last week as we looked at the closing verse of chapter 2, “Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath” (Mark 2:28) that Jesus Christ is Lord. He is Lord of angels and men, heaven and earth, Lord over the whole universe and He is Lord of Glory. Jesus Christ is Lord! They did not understand nor see Jesus Christ higher than themselves; they saw Him as one of the religious leaders. “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:9). Jesus is above the Pharisees, Sadducees, Sanhedrin, Scribes, the religious people of that time and this day. The Heavenly Father had given Him a Name above every other name. Everything in the whole universe, in our world, in the past, present, future, up above and below, the Father had given Him a Name above them all. Jesus Christ is the Lord of Heaven and earth, Lord of Glory; and the Lord that blesses everyone who calls on Him in faith today (1 Corinthians 2:7,8). The major problem with those Pharisees is that they did not recognized who Jesus was, and that is the major problem of people today as well. That Jesus is the Christ, Saviour, Master and the Lord. They wanted Him to be under their tradition, the Sanhedrin and authority, interpretation of the law, and because He wouldn’t do that, so they had problem with Him. But we understand that Jesus is Lord.
3 points:
Point 1. THE ACCUSATION AND THE GRUDGE OF HYPOCRITES BLINDED BY HATRED
Mark 3:1-3; Luke 6:6-7; 4:15,31,32; 19:47. Mark 3:4; Luke 14:1-6; 11:53-54; 13:13; Matthew 5:44-45; Luke 6:35; Galatians 6:10; James 4:17; Romans 2:9; 2 Corinthians 13:7,8; 1 Peter 3:12; 3 John 11; John 5:28-29
“And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand” (Mark 3:1). Jesus had been there before, and He again entered into the synagogue on another Sabbath day. As you look at Jesus Christ, you will see that He was committed to doing the Will of the Father whether it pleased or displease the Pharisees. He knew what the Father had committed to Him to do on earth, to teach the Word of the Father. “And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered” (Luke 6:6). This was what the Father had committed unto Him, and the same we are to do as we come into the house of the Lord, teach the word of God. I pray that we will be faithful and committed just like Jesus. He taught them repentance, entrance into the kingdom of God, necessity of being born again and all the essentials of the kingdom. “And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days” (Luke 4:31). On the Sabbath days, He never missed the purpose of His coming and why the Father sent Him As He teaches us today, I pray that His Word will come forth with power in Jesus Name. The most important thing and the priority of His ministry, “He taught daily in their temple” (Luke 19:47). Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Teacher come from Heaven, kept His commission despite great opposition; the Pharisees sought as they always did how they might catch something from Him to accuse Him, but that did not stop, hinder nor deter the Lord. He looked at the objective of His coming every time courageously, consistently, He is our uncompromising Model, our Pattern today.
Their hatred had blinded them that they could not see that it is good to be doing good every day of our lives not just on the Sabbath day. “And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?” (Luke 14:3). The Pharisees were always confronted with that question, ’Is it lawful, alright or permissible to heal on the sabbath day?’ and always held their peace He asked them the question because on the Sabbath day, they were plotting, planning and consulting together to kill and destroy Him while He was planning to do good, to heal and save lives. They knew the answer because if their ass, or animal fell into a pit or hole on the Sabbath day, they would pull it out. So if they could do that to their animal, He will do the same to His creature that is under the power of the evil one. “And he took him, and healed him, and let him go” (Luke 14:4). Whatever sickness, infirmity, or agent of the devil that might be tied to your life, you are healed today in Jesus’ name. “And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God” (Luke 13:13). As He was in days gone by, so He is today, His power has never change. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. The ruler of the synagogue was angry and lashed at the people saying, There are six days in which men ought to work; in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed; (Luke 13:14-17a).
“Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?” (Mark 3:4). We must ask ourselves, on a holy day, any day we count as special, is it lawful to heal on any of those days? On the Sabbath they were planning to kill him, while he was planning to do good and heal. You will do good every day of your life, for this is what the Lord expects of you, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:44-45). Do good at every opportunity and any time, to friends, foes, enemies, coworkers and neighbours, for it is lawful and right to do good. You don’t count them as enemies but if they count themselves as your enemies, do good to them that is what we are here for and are born again, following the example of Christ (Luke 6:35). “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). As we have opportunity in any day of the week, we must do good unto all men. If we do it not when we could, then we will not be doing right, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). They were planning, plotting and imagining evil in their hearts on the Sabbath day. It is unlawful, sinful to do evil any day and anytime, “Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile” (Romans 2:9). To do evil in any day or place, there will be tribulation and anguish upon the soul of a man that does evil. “Now I pray to God that ye do no evil” (2 Corinthians 13:7). You will not do evil either carelessly or deliberately. The nature in you if you are born again and a child of God, will not allow you to do evil. If we work, plot or conspire against the Truth and want to overthrow the Truth we are doing evil. “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (1 Peter 3:12). It is not right to do evil. It does not show that we are born again, or we understand that the Lord watches over us or we are in His presence when we do evil. Do not copy the people that do evil, “Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God” (3 John 11). A final day of judgement is coming that those who do evil will go on the left hand side, and those who do good because they are born again and have the grace of God in their lives, will go to the right hand side, “And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:29).
Point 2. HIS ANGER AND GRIEF AGAINST THEIR HARDNESS OF HEART
Mark 3:5a
“And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts” (Mark 3:5a). There are many people that misunderstand this verse of Scripture and say we are to walk in the steps of Christ and do whatever Christ has done. Jesus was angry at them for the hardness of their hearts and He was grieved. You need to understand that you are not exactly like Jesus. He is Christ, Lord, Emmanuel, Creator, Final Judge, Equal to the Father, Ruler and King of Israel, Name above every name under heaven and on earth, and you are not. This anger was Divine, and it is the Creator’s anger. In the Gospels, there are lots of things that Christ did that you cannot do. As Lord, He walked upon the water; as Creator, He cursed the fig tree; as Lord, He accepted the worship of men and angels; as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, He redeems Israel; as the Smitten Stone, He is going to crush the rebellious kingdoms and nations; as the Final Authority, He will condemn and damn all unrepentant nations and people, and you cannot do any of these. So even though He was angry here as He looked at the people, you cannot be angry at people. He was angry for –
1. The Hardness of their hearts – John 12:40; Hebrews 3:7-9,12-19
Zechariah 7:12-13 – These people here made their hearts like adamant stone and refused to hear the word of God, “therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.” God the Father was angry. Jesus Christ, the Saviour wanted to open the door of heaven to the people of His time but they would not receive that salvation because of the hardness of their hearts, so as the Father would, He was angry with them. “He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them” (John 12:40). They rejected His grace, forgiving virtue, conversion they could have had and He was grieved and angry at them like God would have been angry. God the Creator has the right to be angry with those who are hardened and adamant, but you don’t have that right. “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12-13). Paul the Apostle could only warn the people, but he could not be angry with them; the preacher cannot get angry at the people because of the hardness of their hearts.
2. The Grief of the Creator – Mark 3:5a; Genesis 6:5-7; Psalms 95:8
“And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts,” Here is the grief of the Creator, of God Himself; you cannot copy it. It is His prerogative. “And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them” (Genesis 6:6-7). There are things that His creatures will do that will grieve Him, and He expresses that grief with His judgement: but you cannot do that, only God can. “Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest” (Psalms 95:10-11). Only God can open or shut the door of heaven to anyone. You cannot stop people from entering or not entering heaven.
3. The Anger of Christ – Mark 3:5a; Psalms 2:6-12; 110:1,5; 21:8-12
Understand that this is the anger of the Only begotten Son of God. “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him” (Psalms 2:12). It was already prophesied that when sinners reject His salvation and love and will not embrace and submit to His Lordship over their lives, His anger will be kindled. If you reject Him as Saviour, then you are going to face Him as a Judge. “The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath” (Psalms 110:5). His anger at sin had been prophesied and He fulfilled it. They looked forward to a Christ that would come, and not smile at their sins, evils and hardness of heart but will be angry at all these (Psalms 21:8-12). So we understand that the grief and anger are those of the Final Judge, Creator, Saviour, King of kings and Lord of lords
Point 3. MAN’S ANGER AND GRIEVANCE, HARMFUL TO HIM
Mark 3:5b-6; John 7:23; Genesis 49:5-7; Numbers 22:22,27-31; 2 Samuel 3:6-11,27,33; Ecclesiastes 7:8-9; Psalms 106:32-33; Matthew 5:22
“….he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other” (Mark 3:5b). Jesus did not pray, but by His authority as the Creator He told the man to stretch forth his hand. Yes, He gave His power to the Apostles and believers, yet we pray in His Name and use His authority to perform a miracle. But in His own time, He was the Name and Authority.
But the Pharisees were angry with Him for doing this on a Sabbath. “If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?” (John 7:23). When you are angry, you are harmful to yourself. “O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel” (Genesis 49:6-7). Simeon and Levi did not get the final blessings from their father Jacob and God because of their anger. Anger brings harm, judgement and danger to the angry. “And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff” (Numbers 22:22-27). Anger always pushes us to wrong actions like Balaam (Numbers 22:22-35). The ass was acting as his friend, not wanting him to be injured but, not seeing what the ass saw, he smote the ass. Many times, in our relationships we smite in anger those protecting and preserving us, though they have good intentions. Anger like that of Balaam, is condemned by the Lord. Misinterpretation of posture, language, quietness, and actions of people make men angry. The ass had good intention to protect the man, but the man misinterpreted its action. “Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face” (Numbers 22:31). Until the Lord opens your eyes to see why people do what they do, the misinterpretations of their actions will be hurting you. When you get angry, you destroy and hurt yourselves (2 Samuel 3:6-11). Abner did the will of God in anger; he translated all the other tribes of Israel to David as the king when he was falsely accused by Ishbosheth, but see what happened to him eventually, “And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother” (2 Samuel 3:27). He died prematurely. You will not lose your life in anger. There are people that run, jump, preach, quote the right words or say the right things, or do the right things, but in anger. Anger behind your action will hurt you whatever the result. You will not die as a fool in Jesus Name. “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:9). Be patient and be meek. Anger is not the mark of a real child of God. Anger will not be in your heart or bosom. In leadership, you think you have the right to be angry like in the case of Moses, but anger will bring hurt and harm to the one who is angered. Moses missed the fruit of his labour to take the Israelites to the Promised Land. (Psalms 106:32-22). You need to be careful of anger in your life and ministry; let God judge the people that disobey Him. It is not our right as leaders to get provoked and become angry when the people disobey us or the word of God. Anger will not destroy you and cause you to miss what the Lord has provided for you in Jesus Name. “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5:22). People get angry because of their own laws, not in the Bible, that are not being obeyed. Where there is no law, there is no sin. Teach the law of God, and remove that extra law and tradition and there will be no anger; but if we continue in that lifestyle of anger you will be in danger of hell fire. Don’t allow anger to destroy your life. You will make it to heaven in Jesus’ name. “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice” (Ephesians 4:31). This is possible as God never gives us commandments that we cannot keep. Take care that people are obeying the laws of the Lord, and in that way, there will no bitterness and anger in your life. Do not raise up another regulation and law to people, you will be kind and praying for people to obey God (Ephesians 4:32).
As we conclude on this anger;
(i) Anger leads to the hardening of hearts. In your family, if you are always angry, it will harden the hearts of your children and other family members; (ii) Anger leads to hatred in homes, and children will not be comfortable living with you; (iii) Anger hurts your health. You will be weak, have hypertension, be shaking and this can shorten your life span; (iv) Anger brings humiliation to the high-minded like Nebuchadnezzar who was turned to an animal for seven years; (v) Anger brings hinderance to holiness; (vi) Anger halts you on the highway to Heaven; and (vii) Anger will lead you to the horrors of hell.
Anger is a serious thing, and today, it will be ejected in the lives of every one of us in Jesus Name.
Ponder on this! Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Teacher come from Heaven, kept His commission despite great opposition; the Pharisees sought as they always did how they might catch something from Him to accuse Him, but that did not stop, hinder or deter the Lord; He was looking at the objective of His coming every time courageously, consistently; He became our uncompromising Model and Pattern today. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Ponder on this! You need to be careful in your life and ministry, it is not your law that the people have to obey, if they do wrong or disobey, it is to God, leave that in the hands of God. If there is going to be anger in the life of any one, let it be to God, the Judge of the people that disobey Him. It is not our right as leaders to get provoked and become angry when the people disobey us or the word of God. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Hard Sayings – God the Creator has the right to be angry with those who are hardened and adamant, but you don’t have that right. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Reflection – The nature in you if you are born again and a child of God, will not allow you to do evil. If we work, plot or conspire against the Truth and want to overthrow the Truth we are doing evil. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Words on the Marble – Anger brings harm, judgement and danger to the people that have the anger. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Key Words – If you reject Him as Saviour, then you are going to face Him as a Judge. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
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