We often picture Jesus with gentle eyes and open arms, but this message challenges us to see the fuller picture of his humanity. In Mark chapter 3, we encounter Jesus experiencing righteous anger in the synagogue when confronted by Pharisees who prioritized religious rules over human compassion. The scene is striking: a man with a withered hand needs healing, but the religious leaders watch not with hope, but with accusation, ready to condemn Jesus for breaking their interpretation of Sabbath law. Jesus responds with a piercing question that exposes their hardened hearts: 'Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?' What makes Jesus angry reveals what matters most to him. The Pharisees represented traditional religion—the belief that if we obey well enough, we can be accepted by God. But Jesus came with the opposite message: we are unconditionally accepted through grace, and therefore we obey. This distinction is crucial for our faith journey. We can fall into the Pharisees' trap in three ways: comparing ourselves favorably to others, believing we're doing well enough on our own merit, or thinking we can fix ourselves without God's grace. All three are rooted in pride. God gave us his Word, his church, and his guidance not as homework assignments or performance tests, but as gifts because he loves us. The gospel isn't just the starting point of our faith—it's the entirety of our faith. When we forget this and try to earn God's favor through our goodness, we grieve his heart just as the Pharisees did.