The Gospel of Mark Part 29
The Gospel of Mark • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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What does it mean to have a hard heart?
How does one’s heart become hard?
What are the results of a hard heart?
Today, we are going to take a slight detour from our verse by verse study of Mark’s gospel to take a closer look at what the Bible constantly refers to as our “heart”.
We ended our lesson last time with a warning about having a hard heart, and I had stated that the hardness of heart is caused by a failure to understand…which was pointed out to me after class as
When we looked at this text in Mark last time, I had a slide up that was worded like this:
Failure to understand leads to hardness of heart.
Failure to understand leads to hardness of heart.
The problem with this is that this is the reverse of what the text actually says:
52 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.
Notice that the CAUSE of the hard heart is not actually given here, only the RESULTS of a hard heart.
The disciples’ failure to understand the miracle of the loaves was the RESULT of them already having a HARD HEART.
So today, we are going to take some time to explore the biblical doctrine of hard heartedness and some examples of it from the Scriptures, how it happens, and how to prevent it.
Here is the correct wording according to the verse:
Hardness of heart leads to a failure to understand.
Hardness of heart leads to a failure to understand.
So, today we are going to take a walk through Mark’s gospel (as well as some other cross references) to see all of the times where the issue of hard hearts comes up and see what we can learn about this so that we can apply it to our lives and hopefully avoid this terrible condition known as a hard heart.
Introduction: What is the heart?
Introduction: What is the heart?
In the Bible, the “heart” is like the hub of our decision-making process.
The heart might be better understood in our modern day language as “the mind”.
The heart is the seat of our inner thoughts, motivations, emotions, and ultimately, our actions.
The heart is very complex:
Intellect: Jeremiah 12.11
11 They have made it desolate; Desolate, it mourns to Me; The whole land is made desolate, Because no one takes it to heart.
Perception: John 12.40
40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.”
Understanding: 1 Kings 3.9
9 Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”
Debates: Mark 2.6
6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,
Reflection: Luke 2.19
19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Remembering: Luke 2.51
51 Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.
Thinking: Dt. 8.17
17 then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’
Imagination: Luke 1.51
51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
Jesus: Gentle and Lowly: Matt. 11.29
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
We can understand how the heart works, or at least how it is supposed to work…but the intimate intricacies of our human hearts are known only to God:
9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? 10 I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.
Notice how mind and heart are so closely related and even overlapping in the Scriptures.
Also notice how the actions (the fruit of his doings) are linked directly to the heart.
Everything we do is rooted in and stems from the heart.
When we see the repeating patterns of our life choices, we are seeing a reflection of our heart.
<READ Mark 7:14-20>
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
Why are some people prone to violence or lust or theft?…It’s because that is what is in their hearts!
It is in the heart that we decide our values and our priorities:
34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The heart must be guarded and guided if we are to succeed in keeping it from becoming hardened:
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
The word “keep” here means to protect or to guard; to carefully watch over.
We are called to live holy lives, and if we are to experience any level of success at holy living, we must take careful inventory of our hearts and apply proper biblical truth to our hearts to ensure that the things that proceed out of them are holy.
I. The Hard Hearts of the Pharisees
I. The Hard Hearts of the Pharisees
I. The Hard Hearts of the Pharisees
A. In the Synagogue
The last time we saw hard hearts in Mark was in when Jesus healed the man with the withered hand:
<READ Mark 3:1-4>
Mark 3:5 (NKJV)
5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.
What was the content of their hard heartedness?
The answer is back in verse 2:
2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.
Notice that they didn’t doubt Jesus’ ability to heal…in fact they ANTICIPATED that Jesus would, in fact, heal this man.
These men’s hearts were so hardened and calloused that they cared not one bit for the plight of this man who had a withered hand, likely poor, likely without work or very little income, not to mention disfigured and unable to lead a normal life…and none of that mattered to them!
To the Pharisees, this poor man was nothing more than a pawn in their game of catch the Rabbi…he was worthless to them…he was no longer human to them. They could not see his pain and suffering. They were NUMB to human suffering…THAT is what a hard heart looks like.
But Jesus’ heart was TENDER. Jesus saw the plight of this man for what it was - suffering and in need of help…and Jesus knew that He could give him the help that he needed.
3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” 4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent.
They were silent because they had already made up their minds about this issue. They didn’t care about doing good or doing evil from God’s point of view…which is the point of view that Jesus is asking this question from.
(side note: this is an interesting point when discussing God with skeptics - if there is no God, no absolute moral authority, there is no absolute good or evil…it becomes completely subjective according to who ever is in control at the time)
The source of the Pharisees’ hard hearts was legalism.
Legalism Leads to Hard Hearts
Legalism Leads to Hard Hearts
Saving life or killing life didn’t matter to them - they were so calloused that they had become fixated on one issue and one issue only - their own strict interpretation of the laws regarding the Sabbath Day.
Jesus’ tender heart made the right choice:
5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.
I. The Hard Hearts of the Pharisees
A. In the Synagogue
B. With the Multitudes
1 Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again. 2 The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him.
Notice that the Pharisees have no intention of learning anything - the hard heart is not teachable, it is deceitful!
3 And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.”
<Deut. 24.1-4>
5 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
God allowed divorce for certain reasons not as His best ideal, but as a way to limit the effects of sin.
God’s ultimate intention for marriage is found in Genesis 1-2. This was a temporary accommodation for the human condition of refusal to accept God’s standards.
Jesus is bringing this to light to expose the hearts of these Pharisees - notice that He says “because of the hardness of YOUR hearts”, but these men were not present at the time of the giving of this law of Moses!
Unbiblical Views of Relationships Lead to Hard Hearts
Unbiblical Views of Relationships Lead to Hard Hearts
Jesus was exposing their hearts for what they were - no different than their ancestors that required this provision to be made for.
So the Pharisees were certainly hard-hearted - as we would expect…they didn’t walk with Jesus or believe in Him...
…but what about those that were closest to Jesus?…surely they would have tender hearts just like their Rabbi…right??
II. The Hard Hearts of the Disciples
II. The Hard Hearts of the Disciples
II. The Hard Hearts of the Disciples
A. On the Sea
52 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.
So here, in Mark 6, we see that hardness of heart is not limited to the unbelievers and the skeptics…even those close to Jesus in proximity can harden their hearts.
At some point along the way, the disciples’ hearts had become hardened.
Let’s go back to Jesus walking on the water and how the disciples responded to seeing that:
49 And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out;
Here is the first indication that these men had hardened hearts.
They didn’t recognize Jesus when they saw Him walking on the water because they failed to understand who He was when He performed the miracle of the loaves.
They should have seen this man walking on the sea and known who it was!
51 Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. 52 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.
The problem that the disciples had was that they misunderstood the miracle of the loaves.
They failed to see the lesson in the loaves, which was God revealing Himself in the Person of Jesus Christ.
Failure to Understand God Leads to Hard Hearts
Failure to Understand God Leads to Hard Hearts
Had they had soft, teachable hearts, they would have understood that this Man, Jesus of Nazareth, was indeed the Yahweh of their Scriptures and celebrated His passing by them as a glorious sight…but instead they only assumed it was a spirit.
They should not have cried out in fear, but in PRAISE and WORSHIP!
II. The Hard Hearts of the Disciples
A. On the Sea
B. In the Boat
14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. 15 Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”
Once again, Jesus is teaching them something SPIRITUAL, but they mistake it for something PHYSICAL.
Before, Jesus showing them His glory when “He would have passed them by”…Now He is teaching them something critical about the spiritual leaders of Israel - men that they had grown up with great respect for and even in fear of…and Jesus is breaking that cultural boundary…but once again, the disciples didn’t understand because their hearts were STILL hardened!
Mark 8:17–18 (NKJV)
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? 18 Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?
Jesus’ rebuke here is even stronger than last time.
He is repeating the often used language for Israel in the OT.
Hard hearts are often illustrated by BLIND EYES and DEAF EARS.
A hard-hearted person does not see what God is showing him and doesn’t listen to what God is saying to him.
A hard-hearted person is focused on the physical world instead of the spiritual reality right in front of him.
Ignoring Spiritual Truth Leads to Hard Hearts
Ignoring Spiritual Truth Leads to Hard Hearts
II. The Hard Hearts of the Disciples
A. On the Sea
B. In the Boat
C. At the Table
14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
This takes place post-resurrection - Jesus has died, was buried, and has risen again, and has been eye-witnessed by several individuals:
<READ Mark 16:9-13>
Both Mary the Magdalene and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus had seen Him alive and had reported it to the eleven, but their hearts were STILL hardened and because of that, they did not believe them!
So Jesus had sent multiple eye-witnesses to proclaim His resurrection to the disciples, but they were hard-hearted and therefore lacked faith!
A Lack of Faith Leads to Hard Hearts
A Lack of Faith Leads to Hard Hearts
Conclusion:
How is your heart doing today?
Has your heart been struggling with any of the issues we have looked at today:
Legalism?
Unbiblical views of relationships?
Failure to understand God?
Ignoring spiritual truth?
Lack of Faith?
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.