Jesus spent a lot of time with his disciples. They heard him teach, watched him heal and perform miracles. Out of anyone, they certainly had to know that Jesus was the Messiah. Right?
And yet, they still struggled. After seeing Jesus feed 5,000 people with only a few loaves and fish, they were in a boat on their way to the other side of the sea. They were struggling because the wind was strong and progress was slow.
Then, they saw Jesus walking on the water and initially, they were very afraid. I can understand that, we don't expect to see someone walking on water and they didn't know what to make of it.
Jesus immediately told them, "Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid." (Mark 6: 50)
Jesus joined them in the boat and then calmed the wind for them, making the rest of the journey a lot easier. However, in verse 52 it says, "For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened."
That is hard for me to understand. They were seeing miracles on a regular basis and they had direct access to Jesus. How could their hearts be hardened to Him? And yet, that was the case. We see further evidence of their doubt throughout the gospels. For example, Peter ended up denying Jesus and Judas completely betrayed Him.
Most Christians, myself included, would like to think that our hearts are not hardened to Jesus. A hard heart can manifest itself in several ways. Take a moment and do a self-check. Do you have any of these symptoms?
- Indifference to the power of God
- Lack of compassion for the unbelievers
- No passion in your worship
- Not nearly enough prayer
- Neglecting the word of God
Psalm 103:2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits
Wow! I really like this list. It will keep me accountable and on track with my main man, Jesus.
ReplyDeleteLove to you my dear friend.