Hebrews 7:1-3, 15-17
Psalm 110:1, 2, 3, 4
Mark 3:1-6
The vague they at the beginning of the gospel reading is clarified at the end of the passage, as the Pharisees took counsel with the Herodians. It looks like the Herodians were not present in the synagogue, since the Pharisees had to go out to take counsel with them. These they are asked a question: Is it permitted to do good on the Sabbath...? But they remained silent. Their silence is surprising, since they had confronted Jesus in the past, and so it smacks of passive aggressiveness. Their real reaction, their anger, explodes at the end of the episode, as they take counsel to put Jesus to death.