Upon another Sabbath, as Jesus entered a synagogue. He saw there a man who had a withered hand. The Pharisees watched Him, eager to see what He would do. The Saviour well knew that in healing on the Sabbath He would be regarded as a transgressor, but He did not hesitate to break down the wall of traditional requirements that barricaded the Sabbath. Jesus bade the afflicted man stand forth, and then asked, "It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?" It was a maxim among the Jews that a failure to do good, when one had opportunity, was to do evil; to neglect to save life was to kill. Thus Jesus met the rabbis on their own ground. "But they held their peace. And when He had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, He saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other." Mark 3:4, 5.

Da Jesus på en anden sabbat gik ind i en synagoge, så han dér en mand med en vissen hånd. Farisæerne holdt øje med ham i spændt forventning om, hvad han ville gøre. Frelseren vidste godt, at han ved at helbrede på en sabbat ville blive betragtet som én, der overtrådte loven, men han tøvede ikke med at nedbryde den vold af traditionelle forordninger, som omgav sabbatten. Jesus bød den syge mand træde frem og spurgte derpå: "Har man lov at gøre godt på sabbatten eller gøre ondt, at frelse liv eller slå ihjel?" Det var blandt jøderne en hovedregel, at en undladelse af at gøre noget godt, når man havde lejlighed til det, var at gøre noget ondt; at undlade at frelse liv var at slå ihjel. Således mødte Jesus de skriftkloge på deres egen grund. "Men de tav. Da så han omkring på dem med vrede, bedrøvet over deres hjertes forhærdelse, og siger til manden: 'Ræk din hånd frem!' og han rakte den frem, og hans hånd blev rask igen." Mark. 3,4-5.