“And Jesus entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there with a withered hand. And the Pharisees were watching Jesus to see if He would heal this man on the Sabbath, in order that they might accuse Him.” (Mark 3:1-2)
There is a crippling form of blindness that a stubborn and unrepentant heart brings upon us. Just look at the Pharisees. They, who cherished the Scripture and believed in miracles, looked upon every miracle of Jesus as an opportunity to bring an accusation against Him. Miracles of God were being displayed before their eyes. Yet all they could glean from them was, “What is Jesus doing wrong here?” After Jesus healed the man with the withered hand, they immediately took council with their political adversaries on how to destroy Jesus (Mark 3:6). Yes, their hardened hearts led them to join forces with their enemies against Jesus.
Look at how blind their hardened hearts had made them in John 5:10-12. Jesus had just healed a lame man so he could walk. At Jesus’ command, the lame man picked up his sleeping mat and walked home. But when the Pharisees saw him carrying his mat on the Sabbath, they rebuked him. In his defense the healed man told them, “He who healed me is the one who told me to pick up my mat on the Sabbath.” The response of the Pharisees is so revealing. They looked right past the miracle and asked, “Who is the one who told you, ‘Pick up your mat on the Sabbath?’” Not – “Who is the one who healed you?” Not – “Who is the one who performed this miracle on your body?” No, all they cared about was a violation of the rules. Their hardness of heart had made them blind to the works of God before them.
In a similar way we are told that the disciples gained no insight from the miraculous multiplication of the loaves and fish that Jesus performed in Mark 6:30-44. Why? The Scripture tells us it was because their hearts had become hardened (Mark 6:52). Even believers can become hardened by life’s disappointments and adversities. And when we allow this to happen, it blinds the eyes of our spirit and can lead us to further sin and spiritual hardness.
May God soften and melt our hearts – and keep them tender and responsive to His voice and leading. While God promises to renew our hearts day after day (2 Corinthians 4:16), He also warns us not to harden our hearts as His people did in the Old Testament (Hebrews 3:7-4:7).
REFLECTION
- Do you find yourself frequently criticizing your pastor and your fellow believers?
- Could it be that the greater fault is in you, that your heart has become dull, hard, and blind?
- Let’s confess our sins to God. Let’s ask Christ to cleanse and forgive us. Let’s plead with the Holy Spirit to renew and revive our hearts.
