Manna Mistakes
And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart?” Mark 8:17
Hardened Heart – Jesus certainly isn’t tactful. He knows that His disciples are anxious about the food supply, but instead of reassuring them that they will not go hungry, He uses a phrase that confronts their disobedient misunderstanding of the character of God. By the way, what Jesus says ties their actions to one of the most disappointing examples of rejecting God. Jesus isn’t trying to gently lead them to the truth. He throws a “Red Sea” ton of water on their conversation.
No disciple wants to be told that he has a hardened heart. That implies deliberate resistance to the truth. A hardened heart is a sign of sinful agnosticism because it describes a man who is unwilling to acknowledge what God has done. The disciples certainly didn’t think that they were being sinful. They thought they were being practical! After all, they had only a single loaf of bread between them. They let their current lack of physical resources dictate their spiritual awareness. They forgot about manna. Jesus held them accountable for the mistake.
The Greek here uses the words poroo and kardia. The verb (poroo) means to make callous or insensitive, to harden like stone. Notice that the action is intentional. If I harden my heart, even through ignorance, it is because I have not allowed the Spirit to show me the truth. This is the condition of all unrepentant men. God pours out His grace, but many refuse to allow that grace to penetrate their granite souls.
Of course, Jesus didn’t speak these Greek words. There are three possibilities for the Greek verb poroo in Hebrew. We can see all three in the description of Pharaoh’s response to God. They are all translated “hardened” in English, but that only means that we don’t understand the nuances – and the nuances make a big difference. The first possible word is hazak. Although it is translated “hardened” in verses like Exodus 4:21, that translation doesn’t really communicate what it happening because hazak normally means “to strengthen” and is most often applied to the idea of “power” (as in “a mighty hand”). When this word is applied to Pharaoh, it means that Pharaoh is unyielding. God simply allows Pharaoh’s natural resistance to be strengthened so that Pharaoh does not relent. The second word is kaved. It means “to make weighty or heavy,” implying either honor or dullness (Exodus 9:7).* God allowed Pharaoh’s heart to become dull, that is, to move in the direction of the natural man who does not discern the things of the Spirit, simply by withdrawing common grace. We can see the connection between hazak and kaved. Both involve God allowing the rebellious soul to act without spiritual intervention.
Then there is the third Hebrew word, the one that Jesus probably used. It is qashah. You will find it in Exodus 7:3. It means to become obstinate, resistant or stubborn. You’ll find it in Jeremiah 7:26. Why is it likely that Jesus used this word instead of the others? Because this is the word the prophet uses to describe the condition of disobedient Israel. It is the word for not paying attention to the power and majesty of God. It is applied to the children of Israel in the wilderness and prior to the Captivity. It is about a nation that didn’t listen to those who were sent to from God (see Jeremiah 7:23). When Jesus uses this word, the culpability falls directly on the disciples. They resist what God displays.
That’s Jesus point to his disciples. Haven’t they just witnessed the miraculous feeding of thousands? Yet they are concerned about their stomachs. It is a sign of disbelief, of intentional dismissal of God’s sustaining ability.
I probably would have been part of this conversation among the disciples. In fact, I find myself worrying all the time, even after I have seen God’s gracious power displayed. Jesus rebukes me. “Don’t you see what’s going on here?”
What about you? How do you feel about bread?
Topical Index: Understanding
*This is the parallel word used in the LXX found only in Job 17:7.
