“What Does a Hard Heart Mean?”

Have you ever looked for something that was right in front of your nose and not seen it? WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW YOU CAN’T SEE WHAT YOU DON’T. Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” There is an ongoing battle inside of your heart for control. The “heart” in the bible signifies the control center of your life; your thoughts, feelings and values are all captured by this one word. It describes your intent or will. EVERY WRONG CONNECTION YOU MAKE IS A BARRIER TO YOUR ABILITY TO SEE GOD. When you lean on your own understanding it’s hard to see God’s will. In v.49 it says, “when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified.”

They relied on their own understanding… they saw… they interpreted… and it produced “terror.” v.51-52 “They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.” What is going on here? What causes a Hard Heart? What is a Hard Heart? Why does it keep a person from Understanding? Was it their own rebellion? Were they responsible for making a better decision? Was it God’s job to soften their heart or was it theirs? The Greek word used here in Mark is, “Porow” meaning a covering, a callous or a veil. Something is in the way. This describes an OBSTRUCTION to be removed. Hebrews 3 has a different Greek word. “sklayroono” means to be stubborn or obstinate. This describes a REJECTION to be reversed. The OBSTRUCTION that needed to be removed was their OWN UNDERSTANDING. YOU CAN’T GRASP THE KINGDOM OF GOD WHEN YOUR HEART IS WRAPPED AROUND THE KINGDOM OF THIS WORLD. Jesus’ statement about their “HARD HEARTS” was NOT A REBUKE of the DISCIPLES but rather an INVITATION to understand the need for THE CROSS AND THE INDWELLING ILLUMINATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. There are three things we can learn from Jesus in this passage: First, we must allow God's truth to challenge our existing understanding. Second, we must allow what God has already shown us to shape how we respond today. Third, we need God's help to understand spiritually.