Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “ Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.

Mark 6:45-52

 

The Bible records many instances when a man’s heart was hardened, causing him to refuse to obey God or act against His wishes. Perhaps the most well-known example is how Pharaoh hardened his heart to the plagues that God sent upon the land of Egypt, refusing to let the Hebrews leave. The Egyptians were cruel taskmasters over the Hebrews and it would be easy to see how God used the plagues to punish them.

 

In this example with Jesus, the disciples had just witnessed the miracle of Jesus feeding over five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish. And yet, even being eyewitnesses of such an astounding miracle, they are unable to believe and trust in Jesus who walked out on the sea and calmed the storm. The Bible states their heart was hardened. The word hardened literally means to petrify or render stupid or callous; it means to lose the power to understanding.

 

It seems almost incredulous that witnessing a miracle would actually harden a heart and not make us more receptive and responsive to trust Jesus. And yet, how often do we behave in this same manner? Everyday God speaks to us through circumstances of our life. The very act of living and breathing is a miracle. We are blessed beyond belief! And yet, these everyday blessings may be casually dismissed as fortunate circumstances, even a coincidence. We may attribute financial or personal success to our abilities, our superior education, even good genes! It is so easy to forget that God alone is responsible for our very existence. Any success that comes our way is yet another way that God speaks to our heart to soften it, not to harden it.

 

Pray that God will soften your heart to see the miracle of the life He has given you and the blessings He has given and will continue to bestow upon you.

 

Amen!