From the Morning Scriptures

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

—Mark 3:1-6 (TNIV)

I have been thinking a lot about God’s Holy Wrath this week and here we see it manifested in Jesus’ reaction to the bean counters, i.e., the legalists, of his day. God’s wrath is directed toward any evil because God cannot tolerate evil in any form. In the context of today’s lesson, it is directed toward the hard-heartedness of religious leaders who care more about following the rules (bean counting) than about relieving the wretchedness of the human condition in its myriad forms. Jesus will have none of it.

But notice too that God’s wrath is more than just anger. Mark tells us that Jesus was “deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts” and his wrath actually manifested itself in the healing of the man’s shriveled hand. Any of us who have seen a loved one go down a wrong path can understand this dynamic, albeit imperfectly. Like Jesus, our hearts become angry and distressed when we see a loved one bringing disaster on himself or herself because of a “stubborn heart,” which blinds him or her to the better way.

Of course, this should not surprise us about God’s wrath because we see it manifesting itself in the cross of Christ. God took on our flesh and bore the terrible punishment of his wrath himself. He wants us to live with him forever, starting right now, and in the cross he moved in a decisive way to make that possible, if we will only accept the gracious invitation via faith.

2 thoughts on “From the Morning Scriptures

  1. I especially noticed the phrase “at their stubborn hearts” as I read. At the end of the passage the Pharisees went out to plot how to kill Jesus. So witnessing that miracle of the man’s hand being healed did not even touch their stubborn hearts.
    The Pharisees aren’t the only ones with stubborn hearts. How many people do I know that seem to have stubborn hearts? And, even closer to home, even though I give myself over to Jesus my Lord every day, I still find big areas of stubbornness in me.
    I think this definition from dictionary.com fits: “unreasonably obstinate; obstinately unmoving”. Many times I am consciously (unreasonably) obstinate! But thanks be to God, He has patience with me.
    I believe God has patience when He knows our hearts will change. But for people like the Pharisees, who don’t pay any attention to the miracles under their noses, God’s wrath will be their demise.

    • We’re probably going to have to send you to seminary if you keep this kind of thinking up, girlfriend. 🙂

      Seriously, I appreciate your comments. Good stuff.

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