Hard hearts bring . . .
Gospel of Mark: Jesus a life to serve • Sermon • Submitted
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· 5 viewsWe are all broken in one way or another; don't allow a hard heart to form
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A Sabbath Day
A Sabbath Day
We gather on the first day of the week to worship; the Hebrews gathered on a Sabbath day supposedly to do the same.
In our passage today you will see some things come to light
Jesus came to worship; Pharisee’s came to watch
Jesus came to commune; Pharisee’s came to confront
Jesus came to bear fruit, Pharisee’s came to find fault
As we look at this section, can we do the same at times? Can we come to the right place with the right reason but the wrong heart?
A hard heart comes about with hard thoughts; there is a problem, but there is a solution; so we will look at both and couple this with some application we can get from this passage
1 He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. 2 They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.
3 He said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!” 4 And He said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent.
5 After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
I started with they came to watch, no doubt Jesus had already more than spiritually challenged the status quo, the religious people already when He
Reasons why they came to watch Jesus.
Claimed authority to forgive sins (Mk2:6-7)
6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Did not like His dinning companions (Mk2:16)
Did not like His dinning companions (Mk2:16)
16 When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?”
Did not like actions of disciples (Mk2:23-24)
Did not like actions of disciples (Mk2:23-24)
23 And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
Each one of these incidents bring about “why” questions? Why? Because it is outside of the norm. Sometimes when things are outside the norm people watch to see what they can do to bring back to the norm or to accuse and discount the one outside the norm.
So now, let’s look at the passage together.
I. The Problem
I. The Problem
One of the problems that people face and even those within the church may face at times is a hard heart and also one of having hard thoughts. So let us briefly look at hard hearts and hard thoughts.
Hard hearts are nothing new; Cain, Pharaoh, Israel, warnings from Hebrew writer (Exo7:13; 1Sam6:6; Heb3:8)
Cain had a hardened heart that killed his brother
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13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
Pharaoh had a hardened heart against the Hebrew people
But even the Hebrew people (Israel) had hard hearts at times
6 “Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He had severely dealt with them, did they not allow the people to go, and they departed?
And the warning given in Hebrews, quoting O.T. scripture
8 Do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me, As in the day of trial in the wilderness,
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Can we harden our hearts which in turn closes our ears to the spiritual truths God wants to teach us. This being one of the reasons why Jesus spoke in parables
13 “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 “In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;
15 For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.’
Can we miss out on things that the Lord has for us because we harden our hearts to the hearing of the Lord? We are not alone when this happens, it happened to the disciples too. (Mk8:13-21; Mk16:14)
13 Leaving them, He again embarked and went away to the other side. 14 And they had forgotten to take bread, and did not have more than one loaf in the boat with them.
Summarize (MK8:13-21)
After the 4000 are fed the disciples with Jesus leave to go to the other side
The disciples had forgotten to take bread
Jesus used this opportunity to remind and to teach them, as well as a rebuke about unbelief too.
21 And He was saying to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
And that was not the only incident (MK16:14)
14 Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen.
See we can all have hardness of hearts at times, but we need to realize it and do something about it, for there is a solution to it and we will address that shortly.
Hardness of heart brings about calamity (Pro28:14)
14 How blessed is the man who fears always, But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
Hard hearts produce hard thoughts. Look at what the thoughts were of the Pharisee’s.
6 The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.
The Pharisees (a religious party) will partner up with the Herodians (a political party loyal to Caesar) in which they normally do not get along with so as to look for a way to destroy Jesus.
Hard thoughts can still belabor us today and detour us from what God wants us to do (Gal5:14; Mk9:39-40)
14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
LOVE, it is all wrapped up and fulfilled in love, Love God and love your neighbor, even when you don’t see eye to eye with them
39 But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. 40 “For he who is not against us is for us.
We may not see eye to eye with others who do not think or believe just like we do, but if we harden our hearts to them, and harden our thoughts towards them how can we carry to them the message of the truth.
Don’t loose the ability to see any good in others because of hard heart or hardened thoughts, hearing
In our efforts to stand for the truth; remember to love
In our actions be sure to treat with love
For hard thoughts can lead to verbal battles and verbal abuse that do not further the cause of Christ to lead people to the truth
May I present some solutions to hard hearts and hard thoughts by the scripture? I have done most the talking, so now comes time for you to do some digging while we talk
II. The Solution (the alternative)
II. The Solution (the alternative)
For every problem there is a solution, and most solutions take some effort, and for us protect against hard hearts and hard thoughts or to come out of them it takes some effort. Let us look at some solutions together.
For hard hearts, replace with tender heart (Eph4:31; Col3:12-13; Mt18:33-35; Jam2:13)
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
What are we to put away (v.31)?
In our own weaknesses we need to put on a heart of compassion, that is tender
12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
So we are to put off wrath, anger, clamor and slander, as well as all malice and replace it with (v.12-13)?
May we remember that there is condemnation for those without compassion
incondemnation for those without compassion
33 ‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ 34 “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.
35 “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”
By knowing these things it can bring about a good and noble heart (Lk8:15; Act17:11)
heart
15 “But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.
A good heart implanted in good soil will bear fruit how (v.15)?
11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
The result to a good heart for the Bereans were they were more noble, why (v.11)?
Tender hearts come from knowing the mercy and grace of God, the forgiveness offered by God to those who believe and we are in need of forgiveness daily because we fall short. May we be willing to extend mercy and grace to others, even when they don’t act, think, believe the same way, in an effort to open the door to them to the truth.
Replace our hard thoughts with Kind thoughts that are nurtured by things that are noble, pure, and having the mind of Christ (Php4:8, 2:3-5)
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
I know this may seem basic, but what things are we to replace our thoughts with here (v.8)?
Then there is a reason why we are to do it, for we are to have the mind of Christ, not a mind that is hardened by this world or those in this world.
3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
What are we to do in this passage?
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
Tender hearts and tender minds are the result of growing in Christ Jesus. May we remember
Look at the passage what are we to do (v.3)
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;
Rom12:9-10
Rom12:11-
11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,
13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.
Now in the last few minutes let me draw a couple little points
III. Drawing a conclusion and application
III. Drawing a conclusion and application
The man with the withered hand was a man in need, are we not all like that man, in need of the Savior and His touch?
The Pharisees had a hardened heart and hardened thoughts. they had the wrong mindset (Mk3:6)
6 The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.
Peter gives a good example for us of a good example (1Pt3:8-12)
8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
10 For, “The one who desires life, to love and see good days, Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. 11 “He must turn away from evil and do good; He must seek peace and pursue it.
12 “For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, And His ears attend to their prayer, But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
What mindset do we have, one of hard thoughts or king thoughts? One of hard hearts or tender hearts?
As the man with the withered hand heard the command and obeyed the command by faith, may we too know we have a Savior that knows our needs and wants to meet them.
The Lord calls for us, commands to to walk by faith
We have a withered hand at times and need to allow the Lord to heal it. The solution is found in Christ, in the Word, and empowered by the Spirit.
Don’t harden your heart, or your thoughts thinking God will not work out all things for your good. - His character does not change, be willing to examine yourself and your heart, and your thoughts to align with His!