1
Then he went back in the meeting place where he found a man with a crippled hand.
2
The Pharisees had their eyes on Jesus to see if he would heal him, hoping to catch him in a Sabbath infraction.
3
He said to the man with the crippled hand, "Stand here where we can see you."
4
Then he spoke to the people: "What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?" No one said a word.
5
He looked them in the eye, one after another, angry now, furious at their hard-nosed religion. He said to the man, "Hold out your hand." He held it out - it was as good as new!
6
The Pharisees got out as fast as they could, sputtering about how they would join forces with Herod's followers and ruin him.
7
Jesus went off with his disciples to the sea to get away. But a huge crowd from Galilee trailed after them -
8
also from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, across the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon - swarms of people who had heard the reports and had come to see for themselves.
9
He told his disciples to get a boat ready so he wouldn't be trampled by the crowd.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.