Faith...

Still pondering the story in Mark 3 regarding Jesus healing the man with the withered hand.  It paints a beautiful picture of faith!

Jesus is in the synagogue and notices that a man with a withered hand is there.  So Jesus calls the man forward in front of the crowd and then asks the Pharisees a question about what the law permits on the sabbath.  When no one answers his question, he says to the man with the withered hand, who is now standing up in front of everyone, to stretch out his hand.

Now several things strike me here... first the man and everyone around knew that his hand was withered.  And that meant that he probably could't stretch it out.  Second, note that Jesus does not speaks words of healing, just instruction.  Third note that when the main acts in faith - knowing full well that on his own he couldn't stretch out his hand- he is healed.

The man didn't need to stretch his hand out.  But his faith in Jesus made him do it.  Think of the huge step this was... here he was standing in front of everyone being told to do something he and they knew he could not do.  Wouldn't it have been easier to have sat down or walked away?  But no, he does what Jesus asks of him and is able to do it... he stretches out his hadn.  Had he not taken that first move to stretch out his hand, that first step of faith - nothing would have happened!

Taking that first step of faith can be the hardest, but once we take our first step... God does the rest!