 | Mark 3:4 "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."
Investing in People
On this day in the synagogue, Jesus saw a man with a withered hand. Everyone in the synagogue was watching, not with hopeful hearts, but with hearts anticipating anything they might use to accuse the Lord Jesus. The Lord's argument in verse 4 boils down to this: is it better (lawful) to do good or do evil? His accusers were so invested in things and not people that, according to their laws, it was actually lawful to do evil!
Let me explain. James 4:17 says, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." The Pharisees in the synagogue had taken God's law concerning the Sabbath and added regulations. The end result was strict adherence to their own laws ("things") and disregard for people. According to these men, if Jesus healed this man on the Sabbath, they would have grounds for accusation (verse 2). Ironically, what was "good" to them (not working on the Sabbath) was actually bad (sinful)!
There are a couple of points worth considering this morning regarding this matter of investing in things or in people. Jesus said, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Mark 2:17) His mission was to "seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10) His priority was to save people, to reach people, and to search for people. If our priority is Christ's priority, that will be our mission, as well.
However, we do not live in a world only filled with people-we live in a world with things, too. Things are not wrong, but the temptation is to be so invested in the things that we do wrong by the people. How do you know if you are invested in people or in things? Look at your priorities and what you protect. The one thing that can mess up the good job you are trying to do is people! Being so wrapped up in what you are doing can cause you to forget why you are doing it. That is true in ministry, in your home, and in your workplace. What you make your priority and what you protect will show who or what you are invested in.
Here at the Ranch, we have horses. I love horses. However, sometimes it is tempting to think that having a ranch would be great if it wasn't for the horses! We have a ranch with horses because of people. We want to reach lost folks and help saved folks. The reason we are doing all of these things is for the One we serve, because His priority is reaching people. There are many "things" that need attention, but we must always keep in mind the reason for the things-people. Are you busy today? I am pretty sure you are! In your busyness, what is your priority and what are you protecting? We serve a God who loves people-are you investing in His priority?
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