The Power of a Wounded Worshipper

And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.

Mark 3:1-5

Happy Monday good people! It’s another day’s journey, and on today, I can say I’m glad about it. I got some good sleep, but most importantly, I got some good Word yesterday. If you slept in past your alarm to attend in-person worship or even missed online services, this sermon recap may be just the thing that you need to get your week off to a great start. Even if you attended worship service, this Word will probably seep into your bones and give you some extra strength. Okay, enough of my chitter chat. We’re diving into the sermon recap.

Sunday’s sermon was taken from Mark 3:1-5. Jesus rolled up out of bed and went on down to the church house. When He enters, He spots a man with a withered hand. The word withered lets us know that the man wasn’t born this way. His once strong hand has lost some function. His once strong hand has lost some power.

We don’t make it through this life without acquiring some wounds along the way. And our wounds all look different. You may be nursing wounds from a failed relationship while someone else is tending to hurt from a failed career. The person in the next pew could be working their way through grief while their neighbor is suffering from poor physical health. One wounded church body looking to be made whole.

Now, I have to commend this man. Anyone can look at him and see his weakness. His frailty is on full display. Ya’ll, I do not like being vulnerable in front of people. When I’m wounded, I like to retreat. My therapist calls it turtling. Whatever it’s called, it describes my tendencies perfectly. I hunker down with my wounds and try to work through them alone. Not this man. He goes to church with his deficiency front and center. And Jesus meets him there.

The wounds that we want to hide provide the perfect platform for God to get the glory. The church folks knew all about the man’s deficiency. But they also knew about the power of Jesus. So they didn’t even look at the man, they had their eyes fixed on Jesus to see what He was going to do about the man’s affliction. Our struggles are not accidental or coincidental. They are powerful opportunities for the world to see just how Jesus will bring us through time and time again.

Don’t hide your hand. Your messed up hand. The hand that doesn’t meet others’ standards. The hand that is not as strong as it used to be. That hand. Don’t hide it. Bring it to church. Worship God while your hand is still wounded. Your wounding can become your ministry. Jesus tells the man the step forward. The man complies. Jesus then tells the man to stretch out his hand. You know…the withered hand. The man responds to Jesus’s command and His hand is made whole.

We are the walking wounded. The functioning wounded. The “just enough to get me by” wounded. But we don’t have to remain that way. Stay connected to Jesus. Stay connected to worship. And Jesus will meet us there every time. Don’t hide your hand. Stretch it out. #wepreach