Hard Hearts

Mark 6:51-52  And he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.


Did you ever think that your greatest strength could be your greatest weakness, or that the your greatest gift could be your greatest curse. I've wrestled with the ramifications of free will for many years. The best I've been able to do with it is that all the good that comes from free will and God's complete commitment to to not removing it from us ever, is that I couldn't really give or receive love if I wasn't completely free. That means I also must be free to hate and hurt or steal or lie. The greatest gift of God, that gives me the most pleasure in life, is also the source of the greatest human problems.


Another example with a little facetious twist is our character traits. My wife used to say I was stubborn as a mule, and I would say tell her she was only being negative because stubborn is just the bad word for persistent. I don't give up that's true and sometimes I admit that is really stubborn but often it is just a good persistence. A weakness and strength on different occasions.


Our human need to understand is like that. What we don't understand, we often deny. I've had many conversations about my spiritual experiences that get quickly wrapped up and disregarded because the other person says they don't understand. They can't fit it into some neat rational package so they deny my reality. Even the disciples in the boat had some wrong reaction to Jesus calming the seas because they didn't understand and the scriptures describe it as a hardened heart.


I struggle to understand many things, but I pray I avoid a hardened heart.