i can’t help but think of the song “heart of stone” by taylor dayne when i read about people in scripture with hard hearts. i guess that’s part of growing up when i did…cheesy videos, over done synth, big hair, and did i mention cheesy videos? if you want to watch it…go for it. apparently, to her the problem of emotional reclusivity could be solved by sexual methods. i happen to think there’s some deeper seated issues going on.

people with emotional and spiritual roadblocks are common. we all can get hung up on things from time to time. they may take a little while, but we can get past them. sometimes even on our own. but then you have people who have an emotional or spiritual alcatraz they must combat. that cannot be faced alone, or solved quickly. something happened to either build that around them [trauma usually] or they over time build it on their own thinking they are protecting themselves.

however you slice it, it’s going to be a rough journey for them, and they are going to do some damage both getting there, and leaving it behind. after all, rome wasn’t burned in a day.

so Jesus had healed this man with the withered hand, partly for the man’s benefit. but also to give those hard hearted people a chisel and hammer. Jesus always does a marvelous job of countering hard hearts [bound with distrust & legalism] with acts of mercy, love & compassion. His heart was reaching out to both the man with the external handicap and to those whose disabilities were hidden inside.

the verse in mark says that Jesus was ‘distressed at their stubborn hearts.’ and i’m sure most of us can relate to those feelings of Jesus. how many times have we encountered someone who just would not bend, they were all about business or rules, and they seemed to have a think callous built up over their hearts? those type of attitudes are never healthy [while the opposite extreme is equally as bad.]

so, the question here is, do we have the heart of Jesus for the downtrodden and those people with rigid hearts? the downtrodden are easier to love. they have a need to be met that we can probabaly handle. there may or may not be a lot of emotional investment in what’s going on with them, and they may actually want the help you’re willing to give. and once you’ve helped as much as you can, you’re still going to like them and have that relationship. it’s going to be worthwhile in so many ways…

hard hearted people on the other hand don’t often think they need help, let alone from someone else. any acts of mercy or compassion you show them will probably be written off. there is definitely going to be an investment of time needed with these guys, because there are so many walls to break down. most people wouldn’t put up with their attitude. [think scrooge & his nephew]

but Jesus does make an effort here to counter the attitudes that had been prevailing, not just in this synagogue, but in the Jewish religion as a whole at the time. there was so much rigidity, that people couldn’t bend to accommodate those that needed God’s mercy the most. and that is very obviously a sad place to be. i don’t have the answer to this one. i don’t know how long i could keep working with someone who didn’t want to understand love, mercy & compassion, and i am a very patient person. but here’s the thing…as long as they draw breath in this life, there is hope.

no one is ever so far gone that the grace of God cannot be applied to their lives like a healing salve. there is no one who cannot be changed by Him, or experience His loving-kindness first hand. so, even if it is difficult, even if it’s seemingly going nowhere , we cannot give up on anyone.

Jesus didn’t give up on us, did He?

thank-You, Father for your compassion on me. help me to show everyone the same mercy and love that You have shown me in my life.

amen.