I’m thankful for the grace of the Lord in my life. It truly is something I desire for others to know and experience. I look around at times and it breaks my heart to see people oblivious or resistant to Jesus and His grace.
This whole chapter records the resistance of people against the growth of Jesus’ ministry. People are being set free, being healed, and lives are being transformed. Look at the dialogue of the religious leaders and Jesus.
“Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.” Mark 3:4-6
I try to imagine what Jesus’ face looked like gazing with grief and anger at the hardness of hearts. Today, He is still saving people, transforming lives, and healing and yet people are still hardening their hearts towards Him. Take a moment today to pray for those in your sphere of influence with hard hearts. Take a moment to love in the name of Jesus. He wants so much for people to know Him.
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
He is longsuffering. Longsuffering is a fruit of the Spirit. Let’s follow Him and be longsuffering with Him for those He has called us to minister too!
- To Know Jesus. To Live on Mission.