And the Pharisees immediately went out and took counsel with the Herodians against Him, how they might put Him to death.
Here the contrast becomes sharper. By healing the man with the withered hand, God’s mercy was clearly displayed before everyone; yet instead of repenting or glorifying God, the Pharisees went out at once and began to plot how to hand Christ over to destruction. This shows how deep a person’s spiritual blindness can be. When the heart has already decided not to accept the truth, even a miracle does not soften it. It is also noteworthy that the Pharisees here join with the Herodians. Usually these groups were not of one mind in every matter, but hostility toward Christ unites them. So in the world, people with different interests can often unite against the truth. Yet even their plotting is not outside God’s providence. People devise evil, while God, even in that opposition, will carry out His plan of salvation. Nevertheless, this verse is a grave warning that a person’s heart can become so hardened that, even after seeing God’s evident kindness, he still chooses opposition.