Matters of the Heart

Jesus and his disciples continue bringing the message of God’s kingdom to towns throughout Israel and beyond. The Pharisees and teachers of the law remain key characters (which we’ll circle today in our journal) as they observe and question why Jesus and his disciples don’t follow all of their religious traditions and rules. Another key character, a non-Jewish woman with a pressing family issue, seems to understand something the Pharisees and disciples don’t. Through this week’s passages, we see it is possible to be “around” Jesus but not “with” him.

Mark reveals the greatest barrier to reflecting Jesus out there is something in here in our hearts. Our hearts don’t always align with God’s. We face deep divisions over current issues in our world. Heavy concerns for our future weigh us down. Our passions drive our decisions and daily interactions. The road to discipleship is marked by growing in our understanding of what truly matters to God. He aligns our hearts’ desires to match his as we study the Bible, communicate with him in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us.

The road to discipleship is a lifelong journey of growing and adjusting course as we follow Jesus. We won’t always get it right. The more consistently we set aside our agendas and seek his help, the more our hearts will match his.