Jesus Starts a Fight

Jesus Starts a Fight

(The Jesus Diary Continues)

It wasn't long after the cure of the man at Sheepgate Pond that the Sabbath again became a bone of contention between Jesus and the Pharisees. Except this time Jesus started it.

One Sabbath afternoon I was in the Synagogue lamenting my sins when Jesus walked in. There were several others in attendance, mostly deep in prayer. My prayer was not so deep that I failed to notice him as he entered. I also noted that a cohort of Pharisees had also tagged along. I knew why there were there.

Near me was a man named Omri, who had a severely withered hand that hung limp and useless at his side. It was shrunken to about half of its normal size. His prayer was so intense that he didn't notice Jesus when he entered. But Jesus noticed him.

I didn't know what caused abnormalities like that, but the Pharisees felt it was due to sin. I doubted that, because, if so, I would be the most withered and abnormal person on earth. I was well aware of my past sins, which was why I was in the synagogue that very day.

I sensed that the stage was set for a confrontation.

Jesus did not wait for Omri to notice him. Instead he went right up to him, tapped him on the shoulder and asked him if he could see his hand. He initially reacted with fright, surprised by the handsome bearded man accosting him, but he smiled hopefully.

"Let me see your hand," Jesus said again. Omri stretched out his arm and opened his hand so Jesus could take a look at it. I must say it was a most pitiable sight. Jesus asked him if he would like to have it made normal again.

"Sir," he said, "I don't know who you are, but if you can cure me, I beg you to do so."

Instead of instantly fixing Omri's hand Jesus fixed his gaze on the band of Pharisees, who were intensely focused on this interaction. I knew what they were thinking. Jesus of course did too.

With raised eyebrows, he asked, "Do you think it is legal to do an act of kindness on the Sabbath?" Even I knew there was no way they could answer that. Then he said, "If I do not help this man, am I not actually harming him by failing to act in his behalf? Would not my inaction itself be sinful?" They seemed puzzled at the question, but still didn't say anything. Jesus glared at them with fire in his eyes.

Then he turned back to Omri and demanded, "Hold out your hand!" He did so. Jesus looked at the Pharisees as if to see if they were paying attention, and then touched Omri's hand and made it normal. Overjoyed, but frightened by the tension in the room, he backed away, bowing and thanking Jesus, but keeping a wary eye on everybody else. I think he was happy to get out of the Synagogue that day.

Jesus turned to the Pharisees. "You followed me here today not to come and pray, but to try to trap me in some devious scheme. Why? Are your hearts so hard that you even try to use the Sabbath to condemn me and my works?" Their faces had turned to stone.

"Listen and try to understand. You must do good for another when you have the opportunity. To refuse to help someone when you can is in itself a sin. To fail to do good when you can is to do harm. It's that simple. Whether it is the Sabbath or not is irrelevant."

They were dumbfounded. There was no way they could contradict him without looking insensitive and even cruel. He had given them a harsh lesson and they didn't like it. I laughed at them with childish glee.

Later that evening I toasted their embarrassment with a cup of wine. But I gagged at the sudden realization that Jesus wasn't just talking to the Pharisees. He was also talking to me. He knew I was there and listening to his every word.

I blushed when I recalled how often I failed to help someone in need. I was always busy avoiding evil when I should have been looking for opportunities to do good. Now as I downed the final dregs of wine I thought: What good could I have done today? What good could I be doing right now? I realized that in Jesus' eyes I might be no better than the Pharisees.

I left the Synagogue laughing at the Pharisees. I left the tavern crying over my own soul.

(This article has been adapted from the book The Jesus Diary, An Anonymous Observer's Record of the Life and Accomplishments of Our Savior, which is available at Amazon, Walmart.com, and other online retailers, and can be ordered at any bookstore.)