Harden Not Your Hearts Today

Hebrews 3:7-14
Mark 1:40-45

Today let us check condition of our hearts. We all know that a
a hardened heart is a dangerous spiritual predicament because when our hearts are hardened nothing can touch them, nothing can enter into them; hardened hearts are closed to themselves and cannot allow God’s spirit and life in it. It is closed to any possibility of healing and hope.

Our hearts harden over a period of time-happens sometimes so gradually that we have no idea what is happening to us—when we shut our lives to others, when we settle into self-serving and self-absorbing routines that suck the life from us and those around us, or when we become so comfortable with who we are, what we surround ourselves with and when we believe that we are no longer willing to grow and to change.

With erring hearts we slip slowly away intentionally from God’s hands by letting other things (other persons, our own pleasures, money and possessions) take the place of God. With erring hearts it is not that we suddenly begin to love the wrong things, but that we love them in the wrong ways, giving lesser goods far more attention than they deserve.

And with evil and unfaithful hearts we act as if we ourselves are gods, doing whatever we want and getting whatever we want no matter how much hurt and harm it brings to others.This is the abuse of freedom.

Today dearly beloved let’s have a heart checkup and allow God to transform our lives, and as Jesus cleanses the man from his leprosy in today’s gospel, may God cleanse our hearts from sins and may he lead us according to his plan. Amen.

Fr Joseph Osho