stubborn hearts

I think we sometimes forget there is such a thing as holy anger. Mostly, we think of Jesus clearing the money-changers out of the temple as an example, but I read another one this morning in Mark 3:1-6: 

“Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, ‘Stand up in front of everyone.’

“Then Jesus asked them, ‘Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’ But they remained silent.

“He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.”

Look at the thing that provoked Jesus to anger: stubborn hearts.

Do I have a stubborn heart? When I persist in other-izing immigrants or poor people or leftists or basically anyone else I disagree with, do I show my stubborn heart? When I continue down the self-destructive paths of my persistent sin, do I show my stubborn heart? When I refuse to joyfully enter into aspects of worship and church life that aren’t to my personal preference, do I show my stubborn heart?

These are serious questions, because in addition to anger, which I might expect, Jesus also reacted to these stubborn hearts with deep distress. That’s unexpected, and the only reason I can think of is that he realizes those stubborn hearts are hell-bound, or at least at risk of that. 

I pray that, whatever my stubborn heart might do, the trajectory of my life isn’t causing Jesus deep distress.