Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone." 4 Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent. 5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. NIV 

I can imagine Peter, Your disciple, chuckling to himself as he recalled the incident with the grain in the field, but now his thoughts turn more solemn as he shares with Mark a more sobering event. A few grains of corn rubbed in the hand is one thing but to deny a man with a shrivelled hand healing is in a totally different league.

It is Sabbath again, and You and Your disciples have come naturally to the Synagogue to pray and to hear the Scriptures read. It was part of the rhythm of life in Israel: To work, to rest, to worship. And yet all the time in the background are a group of Pharisees determined to catch You out and accuse You of breaking the Law. I'm sure that the man with the shrivelled hand was not there out of habit (he would probably have been shunned by the Synagogue rulers, believing him to have been cursed by God) but I suspect he had been planted prominently in the congregation so that it would be obvious for You to see when You entered.

Mark says that some of them were looking for a reason to accuse You. So some had clearly made up their minds - but others still had their minds open - but were easily led. So the scene is set and the first move is down to You. Either You ignore him and deflate the challenge, or Your compassion draws You to him. It's obvious what's going to happen and You command the man to stand. I wonder what was going through the mind of this poor pawn of the Pharisees. Clearly they had no love or compassion for him - the very last thing they wanted to happen was to see him healed so that it helped him. He was just a pawn in their game. But not in Your eyes. You had compassion. And so with compassion You asked the crowd of onlookers whether it is lawful to do good or evil , to save life or to kill? Here was their chance, an opportunity to lead with their hearts rather than their heads. But not one of them opened their mouths. The silence confirmed their choice. The answer was so obvious yet none of them was prepared to compromise their beliefs for reality. They were just like the people of Israel centuries earlier for whom God had said through the prophet Hosea "For I desire mercy not sacrifice, an acknowledgement of God rather than the burnt offering" (Hosea 6v6)
As You looked at them Your anger rose, but also a deep sense of distress that their hearts were so stubborn that they were prepared to stay silent rather than see You exercise mercy.

It was a defining moment. I sense that if only their eyes could be opened they would see hosts of angels and archangels watching from heaven, and Satan with his demon hosts gathered to see this momentous event. You had healed so many people before and yet this one healing was to be so significant.

"Stretch out your hand" and in response to your command, power and strength and flesh and muscle came flooding into that withered hand and at once it was completely healed.
The seed had been sown. It could either germinate as a healthy plant or a poisonous one. For the Pharisees it produced venom as they went out and began to plot how they might kill You.

It was a momentous event