They Held Their Peace (Mark 3:4)

2022-09-17

And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. (Mark 3:4)

I always found it strange that the people of the synagogue, who knew that Jesus would heal the man with the withered hand, kept quiet when Jesus asked this question. If they really believed it was bad to heal people on the sabbath, they should have said, “No! Stop! You can’t do that on the Sabbath. Remember the man who picked up sticks on the Sabbath.” They would have showed concern about His spiritual being. Rather they said nothing, because “the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him” (Mark 3:6). It was a way to collect “evidence” against their rival, who had power and a following they wanted. But Jesus knew all their motives.