During the controversy over healing a man with a withered hand, Mark says that Jesus looks around at His opponents with anger while being grieved at their hardness of heart.
Jesus in Context
Jesus Looks Around With Anger and Grief
Mark describes Jesus as simultaneously angry and grieved by the hardness of His opponents' hearts during a Sabbath controversy.
Introduction
Historical and Cultural Context
Ancient discussions of honor, law, and public controversy could be emotionally charged, but Mark's description is unusually specific. Jesus' anger is paired directly with grief rather than presented as uncontrolled rage.
The immediate issue is whether doing good and preserving life is appropriate on the Sabbath. The opponents' refusal to answer Jesus' question becomes part of Mark's characterization of their hardened response.
Why It Matters
The pairing of anger and grief clarifies the moral character of Jesus' emotion in the narrative. His anger is directed toward hardness that resists mercy, while His grief indicates sorrow over the people displaying it.