Malevolence

The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against Him, how to destroy Him. Mark 3:6 ESV1

Read Matthew 12:9-14, 15:22; Mark 3:1-6, 12:13-17; Luke 6:6-11, 20:20-26

Malevolent is an adjective. It means “wishing evil or harm to another or others; showing ill will; ill-disposed; malicious: evil; harmful; injurious:”2 Jesus experienced malevolence from the religious leaders of His time. These religious leaders, particularly those from the sect of Pharisees, were hateful toward Jesus out of jealousy. The more and more popular Jesus got, the more and more irritated these religious leaders got. People were flocking to Jesus instead of them. People were praising Jesus and not them. Their envy got the best of them; it turned into malice. They began to look for a way to trap Jesus and bring Him down. That task was easier planned than carried out.

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Believing and Blessing

The man believed the word that Jesus spoke and went on his way. John 4:50 ESV1

Read John 4:45-54

“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1) Today, we meet a father who believed in the possibility of something he had never before seen. He took a chance and asked of Jesus that which was contrary to reason. His faith was rewarded. On the contrary, to those who wanted proof before they would believe, Jesus gave chastisement.

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