Hard Hearts
Again He entered the synagogue, and a man with a withered hand was there. And they watched Jesus, to see whether He would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, "Come here." And He said to them, "is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent. And He looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
The Pharisees went out immediately held counsel with the Herodians against Him, how to destroy Him. Mark 3:1-6
Hardness of heart is a pet peeve of mine, it makes me very angry as well. I experience this a lot in my business life, in church life, family life, in fact life in general. Now, you could say, "She is an angry woman." Not really, quite happy most of the time. I love people and love to serve them. My problem is others I need to assist me in this service are unwilling. I am treated as if I have two heads and need to change.
I love so deeply I want to mend things for people but do not have all the skills to do so. Jesus needed releasing to be the Messiah. He wanted to save the hard hearted Pharisees just as much as the man with the withered hand but they refused.
Hardness of heart is probably the most destructive force I know, for it allows those it possesses to stand by and watch the defenceless thrown aside, the needy to stay in their need, the sick to remain ill but worst of all, they die in their sin and go into eternity to be scorned by their true master.
May David' psalm: Create in me a clean heart, be the song on every heart.
May justice flow down like a mighty river, righteousness flow on and on, till the desert becomes like the garden of Eden.....(Amos 5)
Justice is required, too many are mistreated, too many are ignored, too many are marginalised, too many are walked on. It has to stop and it must stop with me. Amen!
While on holidays I am reading, again. This time I picked up a copy of 'Holding up the Sky,' by Sandy Blackburn-Wright. It is a story about a young woman who went to South Africa in the 80's, drawn by a hunger for that land, from her home in Australia. She was there just before Mandela was released from prison and watched senseless slaughter of the local people, all because the local lord wanted control. The police stood by and did nothing and prevented the army from assisting. In fact they supplied arms to the perpetrators.
In my work I try to assist cancer patients obtain insurance payouts. I fight cold hearts, institutions stuck with red tape and bureaucracy. I hear people promise, again and again, that they will call and they don't.
As a Christian I try to get the church interested in loving the cancer patients, I am sad that many don't know how or are too busy. I feel alone in a sea of needy people. Who will love enough to lay down their life for the lost, the dying and the hurting? Who will step across fear and insecurity for those who face an eternity without Christ?
Someone has to care, someone has to sacrifice. Jesus did, what about us?
The Pharisees went out immediately held counsel with the Herodians against Him, how to destroy Him. Mark 3:1-6
Hardness of heart is a pet peeve of mine, it makes me very angry as well. I experience this a lot in my business life, in church life, family life, in fact life in general. Now, you could say, "She is an angry woman." Not really, quite happy most of the time. I love people and love to serve them. My problem is others I need to assist me in this service are unwilling. I am treated as if I have two heads and need to change.
I love so deeply I want to mend things for people but do not have all the skills to do so. Jesus needed releasing to be the Messiah. He wanted to save the hard hearted Pharisees just as much as the man with the withered hand but they refused.
Hardness of heart is probably the most destructive force I know, for it allows those it possesses to stand by and watch the defenceless thrown aside, the needy to stay in their need, the sick to remain ill but worst of all, they die in their sin and go into eternity to be scorned by their true master.
May David' psalm: Create in me a clean heart, be the song on every heart.
May justice flow down like a mighty river, righteousness flow on and on, till the desert becomes like the garden of Eden.....(Amos 5)
Justice is required, too many are mistreated, too many are ignored, too many are marginalised, too many are walked on. It has to stop and it must stop with me. Amen!
While on holidays I am reading, again. This time I picked up a copy of 'Holding up the Sky,' by Sandy Blackburn-Wright. It is a story about a young woman who went to South Africa in the 80's, drawn by a hunger for that land, from her home in Australia. She was there just before Mandela was released from prison and watched senseless slaughter of the local people, all because the local lord wanted control. The police stood by and did nothing and prevented the army from assisting. In fact they supplied arms to the perpetrators.
In my work I try to assist cancer patients obtain insurance payouts. I fight cold hearts, institutions stuck with red tape and bureaucracy. I hear people promise, again and again, that they will call and they don't.
As a Christian I try to get the church interested in loving the cancer patients, I am sad that many don't know how or are too busy. I feel alone in a sea of needy people. Who will love enough to lay down their life for the lost, the dying and the hurting? Who will step across fear and insecurity for those who face an eternity without Christ?
Someone has to care, someone has to sacrifice. Jesus did, what about us?
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