MIRACLE HEALING ON SABBATH: AN EXEGESIS OF MARK 3:1-6

Abstract

Miracle healing is one of important issues in the New Testament that need to be examined. One of them is the scenario when Jesus entered into a synagogue on Sabbath and there was a man with a withered hand. Some people were watching if Jesus would heal the man in order to accuse Him. Jesus, however, intentionally called the man into the midst, asked question to the people, and healed the man. At the end of the story, Pharisees and Herodians made plot so that they might kill Jesus.

This story remains scholars with various interpretations because some may say Jesus abrogate the Seventh day Sabath and other argued that Jesus affirmed the noble work on the first day of the week, while other relate it with salvation. This paper tries to analyze the passage closer in order to know the theological implication behind the motive of Jesus intentionally healed the sick man. It will examine the historical background of the Sabbath,  Synagogue, Pharisees and Herodians and also will analyze certain Greek key words as lexical analysis. This research also provides chiastic structure of the story and analyze some syntactical elements beside the contextual analysis of the passage.