Hardening of the arteries is a disorder in which arteries (blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood from the heart to other parts of the body) become narrowed because fat is first deposited on the inside walls of the arteries, then becomes hardened by fibrous tissue and calcification [Emedicinehealth]. In Mark 3:5 it says, “Jesus looked around at them (Pharisees) with anger and sorrow at the hardness of their hearts.” The Greek word for hardness carries with it a picture of callousness. A heart with a callous covering that eventually brings with it blindness.
Who were the Pharisees? The name Pharisees literally refers to be a “separatist.” They were a sect of Jews who tried to separate themselves from sin by following not only the written law given to Moses on Mount Sinai in the Talmud, but also the Mishna which was an oral law. Just as fat deposits on the inside of the arteries wall can produce calcification that can lead to death, the additional laws caused the Pharisees’ hearts to harden and they lost sight of God. The desire to separate themselves strangled their ability to feel compassion and the end result was that they separated themselves from God Himself.
It was on a Sabbath when Jesus encountered the man with a withered hand. The Pharisees were watching, hoping to trap Jesus. Until Jesus had come on the scene they had been the ones to enjoy the respect they felt their piety deserved. They had enjoyed not only respect but influence as well. They were jealous of Jesus and His popularity which, in their opinion, stole their limelight. They had no compassion for the handicapped man, but were only hoping to use him to expose Jesus as a lawbreaker.
Jesus had the man with the withered hand stand in their midst and then asked them if it was lawful to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath. He asked if it was a day to save life or to kill? They should have been able to answer because, after all, they were experts in keeping the law. “But they were silent” (Mark 3:4). Jesus looked around at their stony, cold faces and He was filled with anger and sorrow at the hardness of their hearts. This is the only explicit reference to this kind of anger in the New Testament. I wonder if Jesus’ anger towards them was reminiscent of God’s anger towards Lucifer who had a position of honor in heaven but whose pride caused his downfall. But it wasn’t only anger that Jesus felt, He also felt deep sorrow and grief because of their insensitivity to God’s mercy or His care for human suffering.
What would it have taken for Jesus to be able to heal the hardened hearts of the Pharisees? First, they would need to humble themselves and recognize that they needed mercy. The same Jesus who brought physical sight to the blind man who cried out for mercy would have given spiritual sight to the Pharisees and in the process healed their hard hearts. But instead, Jesus’ compassionate response to the man with the withered hand made them look for a way to destroy Him.
Thanks Sarah. Very insightful.
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