Today’s Reading: Numbers 21; Numbers 22; Numbers 23; Mark 6; Mark 7
Scripture: Mark 6:52, 7:20-23
Mark 6:52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
Mark 7:20 He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' 21 For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' "
Observation: The disciples had seen Jesus feed thousands of hungry people starting with just five loaves and two fish. But they missed the whole message of what happened because, as Mark 6:52 tells us, "their hearts were hardened." Their lack of softness of heart caused them to miss the miracle. I don't know what they thought, but they somehow did not get the idea that Jesus achieved result impossible through normal means. He transcended the physical realm. And in chapter 7, Jesus explains that the heart is the source of evil. They had all been focusing on external issues -- clean and unclean foods, hand washing practices, etc. Jesus says that the external is not really an issue at all. It's the heart that counts.
Application: This just underscores our need to keep our hearts soft before God. We can be right in the middle of a miracle and miss it if our hearts are not soft. There are many experiences in life that can harden our hearts. Wounds, disappointments, personal attacks, disloyalties, etc., can all cause us to put our hearts in a hard shell to protect ourselves. The problem is, when I try to protect my heart in this way, I keep God out too. I must trust and risk opening up my heart if I am to see the miracles that are happening around me.
Prayer: Lord, keep me soft before You. Help me to keep my heart open to You and to others in spite of the potential for hurt. I want to see Your miracles and to grow in faith as a result.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment