Mk. 3:1-2 “Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.
This passage emphasizes the reality that for each one of us there is always someone watching. In this case it was the skeptics and the critics. Jesus attracted the attention of both the godly seekers of truth and the hypocritical religious leaders who were more concerned about protecting their position of influence and their control over the people of Israel than they were about truly finding God. Jesus left no doubt about his opinion of these leaders and their hardness of heart. In John 8:42-44 he confronted them directly by saying "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire.” It was this audience of people that became the source of intense scrutiny and persecution. They watched him constantly to find points of accusation against Him concerning His life and doctrine.
At the same time there was an entirely different audience watching Christ. The humble and hungry multitudes were amazed at the new things they were seeing in the life of Jesus and as a result they were constantly watching to see not only His life and teaching, but to see the outcome of His many confrontations with the religious leaders. Many people were watching to see the contrasts between His life and the lives of these leaders that had been ruling over them for so long. Their hunger for freedom awakened a hope that they would see a different view of God.
It is important to remember that in the same way there are people who are watching you in this same way. Some want to accuse, some want to see if what you possess is real and still others are looking for something to believe in, someone to follow. You may say “why look at me…I am just a normal Christian.” Well, the truth is that a normal Christian is an abnormal person! To truly live like Christ is to live in a manner that is set apart from the things of the world. If we are really living by a biblical standard then our lives present such a contrast to the standards of those around us that it provokes people to watch, whether we are doing any great and mighty work or just living a pure and God centered life. For this reason, if you wear the name of Christ it is incredibly important how you live. If you wear the name of Christ people are watching, some to accuse and some with the hope that in you they will find something real, something worth living for. Never underestimate the power of your life! Never underestimate the influence you have just for living as a godly example. People are watching you to see if what you have is real!
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