Mark 3 the hardness of our hearts

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, "Come here." And he said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
(Mark 3:1-6 ESV)

This is one of only 2 instances I can think of where Jesus is angry at people who aren't only religious leaders. The other is at the temple where people are making Gods temple into a market.

It is interesting that what makes him mad isn't sin in the traditional sense. It seems like he is mad that they won't really think and seek to understand God's will in the law in this case around the sabbath and showing mercy. It reminds me of this verse in the Old Testament:

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
(Hosea 6:6 NIV)

In Matthew 12 these stories of healing and the sabbath are directly connected.

I don't really know why God put this on my heart or if it connects but in talking to my mom the issue of suffering and why God allows it came up. I guess maybe it is the fact that this man suffered greatly for a long time probably. Why did God the father allow this suffering? Yet Jesus heals him,-why then?

I wanted to think and pray into the issue of suffering so that I can speak love, hope and wisdom into people's lives who have suffering and my own. The only thing worth sharing I thought this morning is that God is not far off and making us suffer. Jesus is everything intimate and together with us in the pain and suffering of this life.

This makes me wonder in my life, church and INTERVARSITY what rules or laws or traditions we follow that get in the way of radical powerful love that Jesus places at much higher importance. One example is at church during the sermon I noticed a person crying but didn't know how to really communicate and pray over them while the structures planned 1 hr and 15 min schedule proceeded. God I pray you would guide me and my ministry to be planned but leave room for the Spirit with your discernment and not my understanding Lord. God I pray students ready to confess and repent of sin or ready to give their lives to you Christ would never wait, but would become center stage of our large groups and bible studies. That is the most important work you could be doing God and far more powerful than our plans.

God I am sorry for our hardness of hearts and I confess my hardness of heart and how I hold to rules and plans often over your work and the mercy you would have me give. I pray you would soften and change our hearts to give mercy and know your timing!
Amen
Amen