Squirming In Church?

# 283 Today's Living Word comes from Mark 3:5, “So when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts,”

How would've you liked to have been one of the Pharisees in that room at this moment? Jesus had just asked them what is more important to them, extending mercy or leaving this man in his need? He was greeted with silence. And so He takes the time to “look around at them” and He meets the eyes of every single person in that room.

Perhaps this has happened to you in church, the pastor comes to a point in the sermon and his eyes meet your eyes and you feel like he is talking to you alone, and you want him to look away because you have just been convicted of some sin in your life.

Well, Praise the Lord! There is still some spiritual life in your heart!

Not so with the Pharisees! The Good Shepherd is giving every single Pharisee an opportunity to see the light, to see the wrongness in their attitude, and HE is greeted by silence. And know this: Jesus would've loved someone, anyone to answer Him audibly, “Heal the man Jesus! Show him mercy!” But He was looking even deeper than the lips, He was looking at the heart, and this is what grieved Him. It was the lack of response in the individual heart to His Word.

Oh God, make our hearts tender to Your Word!

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.