Signs Of A Hard Heart Attack Mark 2:23-3:12 Larry Cline – Hardin Valley Church of Christ – 9/7/2014

Jesus had the courage to tell people they misunderstood what God meant… I’m hoping that we will have the courage today to see if what He says applies to us.

Are any of us on the verge of A Hard Heart Attack?

Mark 2:23-3:6 23 And it happened that He was passing through the grain fields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads [of grain]. 24 The Pharisees were saying to Him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" 25 And He said to them, "Have you never read

what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; 26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar [the] high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for [anyone] to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?" 27 Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the

Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” 1 He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. 2 They were watching Him [to see] if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3 He said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up and come forward!" 4 And He said to them, "Is it lawful to do good or to do harm

on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?" But they kept silent. 5 After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately [began] conspiring with the Herodians against Him, [as] [to] how they might destroy Him.

God gave the people of Israel the Sabbath after they came out of Egypt. “So You made known to them Your holy Sabbath, and laid down for them commandments, statutes and law, through Your servant Moses.” (Nehemiah 9:14 )

Exodus 20: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the L ORD your God; [in it] you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter,

your male your sojourner who stays with you. 11 For in six days the L ORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the L ORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

It was a special sign between Israel and Jehovah

Moses had prohibited work on the Sabbath but had given few specifics. but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the L ORD your God; [in it] you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. (Exodus 20:10 )

Wrong to:  kindle a fire for cooking - Exodus 35:3  gather fuel - Numbers 15:32-36  carry burdens - Jeremiah 17:21-22  transact business - Nehemiah 10:31; 13:15, 19

Jewish TRADITION however stated that there were 39 acts strictly forbidden on the Sabbath, even how far you could walk on that day.  In short, the Sabbath Day had become  a crushing burden,  a symbol of the galling religious bondage that had captured the nation.

1.Argument from Precedent: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.” (Matthew 23:23 )

But if you had known what this means, I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE, you would not have condemned the innocent. (Matthew 12:7 )

2.Argument from Purpose: Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27 )

“They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with [so much as] a finger.” (Matthew 23:4 ) Jesus’ point is that man is the one who is sacred.

3.Argument from Person: “So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:28 )

Jesus is not claiming the right to violate the Sabbath… He is claiming the authority to properly interpret the Sabbath.

Jesus’ Question - And He said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent. (Mark 3:4 )

Jesus didn’t violate the Sabbath, He didn’t even cross a fence.  He did deal the Pharisees such a fatal blow in terms of their credibility that all they can do is plan to deal a fatal blow to Him.  A Hard Hearted Reaction

1.A Closed Mind –  “Have you never read” ( 2:25 )

11 And He said to them, “What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:11-12 )

2.A Critical Outlook –  “looking for a reason” (v 2 )  A pure heart would have come & said, “show us how to help people”

3.A Vengeful Spirit –  “they began to plot” (v 6 )

1.Check for warning signs. 2.Feed on the words of Jesus. 3.Exercise mercy!

That’s what God meant!