And he said 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.
All Commentaries on Mark 3:4 Go To Mark 3
John Chrysostom
AD 407
Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” Then he challenged the Pharisees as to whether it would be lawful to do good on the sabbath. Note the tender compassion of the Lord when he deliberately brought the man with the withered hand right into their presence. He hoped that the mere sight of the misfortune might soften them, that they might become a little less spiteful by seeing the affliction, and perhaps out of sorrow mend their own ways. But they remained callous and unfeeling. They preferred to do harm to the name of Christ than to see this poor man made whole. They betrayed their wickedness not only by their hostility to Christ, but also by their doing so with such contentiousness that they treated with disdain his mercies to others. Gospel of St. Matthew, Homily
