Dealing With The Hardening Of The Heart

by Pastor Mark
November 18, 2022

Facing a difficult situation

As faithful followers of the Lord Jesus, we ought to gain a greater understanding of Him through His Word and life’s experiences. Our faith should be growing from strength to strength. But what if we find ourselves faltering and failing as we face life’s difficulties?

The disciples of the Lord Jesus experienced many wonderful things with Him. He gave them His teachings. He performed many great miracles for them to behold. When they went through a violent storm, He caused it to cease with great authority (Mark 4:35–41). Yet, when they were travelling on a boat against another boisterous storm, and the Lord Jesus appeared to them walking on water, they became fearful and troubled as they thought that the Lord was a “ghost” (Mark 6:49–50). While the Lord Jesus identified Himself to them and caused the wind to cease, the disciples still marvelled greatly at what He had done (Mark 6:51).

Struggling with a lack of understanding

  1. Mark commented, “For they had not understood about the loaves,” (Mark 6:52)
  2. The “loaves” was a reference to the Lord Jesus’ remarkable miracle of the feeding of the five thousand (Mark 6:33–44).
  3. The Lord Jesus showed great compassion to the multitude by amply feeding them.
  4. He also demonstrated great power by multiplying five loaves and two fish.
  5. But the disciples could not connect the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand to Jesus walking on water.
  6. If the Lord can multiply food, He can also certainly walk on water and calm the great wind.
  7. But the disciples still lacked understanding of who He was and what He did.

The deeper problem of the hardening of the heart

“Because their heart was hardened.” (Mark 6:52)

  1. Mark also revealed the true spiritual state of the heart of the disciples.
  2. Their heart was still badly hardened.
  3. This was a deeper problem that the disciples needed to address.
  4. Due to their hardened heart, they had not received well the lessons that the Lord had taught.
  5. In the previous storm, He showed His sovereign power and authority over nature.
  6. In feeding the multitudes, He demonstrated His compassion and great power.
  7. All these lessons of the Lord should have sunk deep into the hearts of the disciples.
  8. It should have increased their understanding and faith to face the “storms” of life.

“Break up your fallow ground” (Jer 4:3)

  1. The prophet Jeremiah described a hardened heart as “fallow ground”.
  2. “Fallow ground” is land that has not been utilised for some time.
  3. The ground has become hardened and wild thorns have grown.
  4. The land has to be tilled to make it fertile again.
  5. Thorns have to be cleared before farmers can sow their seeds.
  6. The people of Judah had to be cleansed of their thorns…sins in their lives.
  7. The hearts of the people had to be thoroughly tilled before the Lord’s good Word could be sown and bear fruit.
  8. Similarly, let us seek to have our hardened hearts cleansed and tilled before it is ready to receive the Lord’s Word.

Let us be challenged to break up our fallow ground so that we may properly learn the lessons the Lord Jesus has taught us…to grow our faith and face the difficulties of life.

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