A Very Dangerous Place

[FROM March 7, 2009]

"(Jesus) looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart..."

(Mark 3:5)

It's early on in Jesus' ministry and he's already facing opposition. The religious leaders of his day are not "fans" or "supporters," by any means. In fact, they're outwardly antagonistic. Here in chapter 3 they've come to the synagogue specifically to try and trap Jesus. Jesus had to be aware of it. Instead of avoiding them or turning to leave, Jesus finds among the people there a man with a withered hand. He asked the leaders a simple question from scripture: "On the sabbath, is it lawful to do good or to do harm?" A simple question, indeed. Every child would know the prophets teach that it's always lawful to DO GOOD on the Sabbath (despite all of the sabbath rules and restrictions, this over-arching principle remains!).

They know the answer. But instead of testifying to the truth... instead of answering the question... they choose to remain silent. To speak would be to support Jesus and incriminate their own intentions. So they don't say a word.

It's a telling sign to Jesus. These are not people open to learning. They're set in their (wicked) ways. Mark tells us that Jesus had 2 immediate feelings: anger & sorrow. His anger was probably due to their stubbornness... and how these leaders refused to acknowledge the truth from scripture... instead opting for their own plans of destruction. And sorrow because this meant they weren't open to God's amazing gift of grace. Their hearts were hard. God didn't create us to have hard hearts.

The Bible would be such a safe book if it only dealt with stuff from the past. But it doesn't. It meddles in our own lives today. It asks us the very same questions it asked people of ages gone by. What's the condition of our hearts today? Are they soft & pliable... or hard & immovable? Are we more set on "being right" and getting our own way? Or are we actually open to hearing words of instruction and correction by The Master?

I pray that my heart is not hardened. I don't even want to get to the place where I KNOW WHAT'S RIGHT beyond a shadow of a doubt - beyond the possibility of God's correcting grace. That's a very dangerous place.

PRAYER: Breathe into me the breath of life, Lord. Soften up my hard heart. Open my eyes to the life-giving work of grace. Teach me. Teach me. Teach me. AMEN.