Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
Mark 6:51-52 NIV
Today we read of the disciples efforts, needs, reactions, thoughts and the account of Jesus' response to their needs, meeting them where they were, by walking on the water to their location in the boat on the stormy Sea of Galilee. Interest is sparked by Mark's account where the explanation that the disciples did not understand about the loaves of bread, for their hearts were hardened.
Their eyes were closed, for they had hearts that were hardened.
The term, 'hearts were hardened,' is reminiscent of Pharaoh's heart as God worked on him, through Moses; leading up to the Hebrew exodus from Egypt. Other examples of hardened hearts include the hearts of the kings of the Northern Kingdoms before their defeat, in Joshua; King Jehoachin in 2 Chronicles; Nebuchadnezzar before his loss of throne in Daniel 5.
The term, 'Not understood about the loaves,' leads us to consider the priest giving David the consecrated bread, the showbread, in 1 Samuel 21.
Mark more clearly points to Old Testament events than Luke or John in his account of Jesus walking on water, meeting the believing disciples where they were at, in the boat on the stormy lake.
The fact that the disciples had hardened hearts and did not understand events can be surprising, for it may be difficult to believe that the disciples could have an attribute of Pharaoh, Jehoacin or Nebuchadnezzar (I bet you never thought you would see that name after we left Babylon).
One of the major differences in these individuals with hard hearts, the disciples were looking for Jesus even with hard hearts. The others were not looking for God with their hard hearts.
One can understand that pride is one factor in hardening ones heart. We did read in Proverbs 11:2 that with pride comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
Pride, self righteousness, and 'knowing' what the right thing to do in an other's situation can be divisive and can set up disunity and disgrace. Even in God's Church.
Seek God and Unity of the Spirit to guide you and look for Jesus with a soft heart. Somehow, I suspect that with a Spirit-given soft heart, one's heart would have less hardening of the arteries of the heart or coronary artery disease as I suspect stress has a role in coronary artery disease.
How do people, does God, harden a heart?
What is the condition of your heart?
Pray for the Spirit to work to keep your heart soft.
In Christ,
David P
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