Hello again, and welcome back to Kid's Bible Stories. Today's story is called A Handmade Hole. This is part 10 in our Mark series and comes from Mark chapter 3, verses 1 through 12. Last time, we learned about something called the Sabbath. Do you remember that word? The Sabbath was a day of rest, a gift from God. A day meant for peace, for stopping and for remembering Him and enjoying His beautiful creation that points us back to Him. It's similar to the word shalom, which means peace, but not just quiet peace. It means a wholeness, things being the way they are supposed to be. And we talked about how the Pharisees, the teachers of the law, had taken God's good gift and twisted it, until the Sabbath, it didn't feel like a blessing anymore. Now listeners, imagine this with me. It's the Sabbath again. The streets are quieter. No one is working or selling items. Sandals press softly into the dusty ground as people walk slowly. And inside the synagogue, the place where people gather to worship, men sit and rose listening. And who walks in? But Jesus. Let's go ahead and pick up our story here. Jesus enters the synagogue. And in the synagogue, there is a man. We don't know his name, but we do know this. His hand is shriveled. This probably means the man's hand did not move the way it should. Maybe it was weak or twisted. And the Pharisees see him too. But they aren't thinking about helping him. They are thinking about Jesus. Will he work or heal on the Sabbath? Will he break our rules? With eyes locked on him, they watch every move Jesus makes, looking for a reason to accuse him. They watched him closely to see if he would heal the man on the Sabbath. Now, do you think Jesus knows what they're thinking? Yes. Yes, of course. He knows everything. Jesus looked at the man with the shriveled hand. I imagine with such compassion in his eyes and said, Come and stand up in front of everyone. I bet the room went silent. They all watched in anticipation wondering what was about to go down. The man began to stand, his shoulders tight, aware that everyone was watching. Listeners, what do you think he was thinking? Well, in the world, why couldn't you just do it right here? Thanks for sharing. Well, the Bible doesn't tell us. But remember, he was a real person. He had real feelings just like you and me. I wonder if he was excited thinking, is Jesus going to help me? Or was he nervous wondering, oh no, am I going to be made a spectacle where people laugh at me? Well, let's see what happens next as we continue. Then Jesus asked them, Which is lawful on the Sabbath? To do good or to do evil? To save life or to kill? No one answered. Silence. Jesus looked around at them in anger and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts. He said to the man, Stretch out your hand. He stretched it out in front of everyone watching this miraculous moment. And his hand was completely restored. And suddenly his strength returned. Muscles moved. His hand opened fully and completely closed. He was healed. Made whole. Do you think some watching might have been amazed and were happy for the man? Yes. Yeah, maybe. But the Pharisees, they did not celebrate. Instead, they did the opposite. Their garments whipped at their heels as they charged out of the synagogue. And they began to make plans. Plans with the Herodians of how they might kill Jesus. Well, that is it for our story today. But before we go, let's think about what we just heard. Do you think that it was good that Jesus healed that man? Yes. Yes, of course it was. So why were the Pharisees upset? Why didn't they see it the same way? Because you're not supposed to do work on the Sabbath. Thanks for answering. Let's talk about it. The problem wasn't the Sabbath. The Sabbath was good. It was God's idea. But the Pharisees had taken that good gift and turned it into something else. And they seemed to care more about following those rules than loving people. They missed the point. Let me show you an example from your own life. Maybe at school you have a rule. No running in the hallway. Why do you think that rule exists? Because if someone goes out of another classroom and someone's running, the other person could run them over. Right. So people don't crash into each other or get hurt. It's a good rule. But imagine this. A dog runs into the school. And not a friendly one. Oh no. This one is barking and growling, chasing you. Now what do you do? Do you walk slowly because of the rule? Or do you run? Run. Of course you run. Because the point of the no running rule in the hallway, the point is to keep you safe. And now running is the safest thing you can do. The Pharisees forgot that. They cared about the rule. But they forgot the reason behind it. And for them, remember it wasn't just that. They were adding on things that God had not put there. So here's one way you can live this out this week. When you read your Bible and hear about God's laws and you want to follow them, ask them yourself, why does this law exist? And maybe consider if there's ever been a time where you've heard someone try and use God's law in a way that really isn't right. Maybe they too try and twist it or add things that aren't there. And then, am I loving people by falling? Because that's what God cares about. A heart that loves Him and loves others. Now let's take a quiet moment and pray about what we learned. You can close your eyes if you want or just sit quietly. Let's pray. Dear Jesus, thank you for being kind and powerful. Thank you that you see people and care about what is broken. Help us to have soft hearts and love others. Please help us to understand your truth, not just follow rules. And when we mess up, sin against you because we all do. Let us come to you boldly asking for forgiveness and please help us as we try to be like Jesus because we can't do that alone. We trust you, we love you. Amen. Now, before we go to our awesome shoutouts, I want to share something with you. We recently opened a survey to families who listened to Kid's Bible Stories. And what we're seeing is really powerful. Over half of the families who responded said they've been listening for one to two years. Think about that. That's not just a one-time story. That's children hearing God's word again and again, week after week, year after year. That scripture becoming familiar, truth taking root, and hearts being shaped. And here's something else. Every single person who responded said they have recommended this podcast to a friend. That means it isn't just staying in one home. It's being shared. More and more kids hearing about Jesus. So if you're part of the family library as a pain supporter or giving a one-time donation, you're not just listening. You're helping make that happen. And if you've been listening and wondering how you can be a part of that, we would love to invite you to join us. The link will be in the show notes. The family library is full of simple, meaningful tools to help you go deeper with each episode. All right, now I want to give a big thank you to our newest supporters playing a part in that impact. Thank you to Ari Joy. I heard that you just turned six. Happy, happy birthday. And I know that you shared your own birthday money so that other kids can learn about Jesus. Ari Joy, that is so super cool. Thank you and happy birthday. Thank you, thank you to six-year-old Alina and four-year-old Zachary, who said they love listening every night before bed. Their parents said this podcast is helping them fall in love with Jesus and scripture. That is wonderful news. Thank you so, so much Alina and Zachary and keep up the good work. I know God's word will always guide you. And thanks to Mason all the way from Australia. Hi, Mason. I heard that you enjoy listening in the morning and that your family even discusses it with your morning prayer before school. I love this routine. That is a great way to start your day. Thanks to all of you again. God bless you. And if you're interested in joining them, the link is in the show notes. All right, listeners, you can tell from this episode that things are changing. When we started the series, no one seemed upset with Jesus, but not anymore. What do you think will happen next? We'll find out on next week's episode. Thanks again for joining us and, as always, bye for now.
