Mensa Otabil - The Hardened Heart
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Well, so far we’ve been talking about positive things concerning the heart. Today, we will discuss a condition of the heart that is not so positive, and that is a hardened heart. Mark chapter 8, verse 17: «But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, 'Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? '»
Jesus rebuked his disciples because he said they had a hardened heart. The word that Jesus used, which is translated as hardened, carries the idea of covering something with a thick skin or becoming dull in understanding. So, though Jesus was the world’s greatest teacher, his disciples struggled to understand him. They had great difficulty in grasping his message. It is possible for the best things to be taught to you, yet you may have a thick skin over your understanding and be dull of understanding. That condition is called a hardened heart—nothing sinks through it, and nothing goes through it.
In this passage, the disciples of Jesus misinterpreted a statement he made; he spoke about the leaven of the Pharisees, and because leaven is the same as yeast, they immediately thought he was talking about bread. They asked themselves, «Is it because we have no bread? We didn’t carry any bread.» Jesus then asked, «What’s wrong with you? Didn’t you understand that when I said leaven, I was speaking of the leaven of the Pharisees and not the leaven in bread?» People who are dull of understanding jump to conclusions without fully taking something into consideration, resulting in constant misunderstandings and a failure to allow knowledge to penetrate into their hearts, minds, and souls. God wants us to receive what he gives us, and for that to happen, we must not have a hardened heart—a heart that does not receive instruction.
So the question is, if Jesus had such a problem with his first disciples, is it possible he has similar problems with us? When he speaks to us, do we allow it to go deep inside us? Do we permit it to sink in? Is our heart hardened? Is your heart hardened? Have you sat under the word of God for so long without change? You hear it over and over, but it doesn’t go anywhere inside you.
There are three reasons I will offer for why people have hardened hearts. The first is pride. Pride is when you think you know it all. «I have it all; I am the best; nobody can teach me anything.» When we have a sense of pride, nothing gets inside us. We are so full of ourselves that nothing can be added to us, and I hope that is not your problem.
The second reason why people can be dull of understanding is pain. Pain can lead us to harden our hearts because we’ve had painful experiences and allowed those experiences to harden us. As a result, nothing new comes to us; we cannot forgive, we cannot move on, and we cannot learn anything else. Everything is referred to our pain.
The third reason is power. When people feel powerful, they think they are almighty and can do everything by themselves, either because of their high position or their prosperity. They become intoxicated with power, and nothing can penetrate their hearts. So, pride, pain, and power can cause us to harden our hearts so that knowledge does not penetrate. I hope that does not apply to you, and if it does, God can help you soften your heart. So let’s pray and say with me: «Heavenly Father, touch my heart with your spirit. Deliver me from anything that will harden my heart towards you. In Jesus' name, amen.» May the Lord soften your heart today. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.