On A Humble Heart

Reflection on Isa: 43:18-19,21-22, 24-25, Psalm 41:2-5,13-14, 2 Cor 1:18-22, Mk2:1-12

Our worship theme tonight is “humbly bowing to God’s pardon purifies the disciple’s heart.” One might ask, isn’t this common sense? One cannot receive God’s pardon unless one has a humble, repentant heart; seeking and accepting God’s forgiveness purifies the heart. But herein lies the challenge. A humble heart is a grace of God. Jeremiah 17:9-10 describes the natural condition of human heart as “more tortuous than all else…beyond remedy, who can understand it? I, the Lord, alone probe the mind and test the heart.” How does one receive the grace of a humble heart?

We should be forgiving. Our hearts retain memories of the past, particularly of the hurts inflicted on us by others. We hold on to these hurts, relishing the thought that one of these days, we will get even. Rather than confront the offender, we avoid reconciliation. Even after reconciliation, we still speak of these hurts to others, holding to judgment or condemnation those who offended us. This is why in Isaiah 43:18, the Lord says, “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not.” God commands us to forgive, because in forgiving others, we too are forgiven of our sins. The Lord’s forgiveness releases us from sin and death, heals and restores us, and makes us new persons in Christ. “See I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” Our hearts must be rid of pride, if we are to perceive God’s gracious work in our lives.

We should be prayerful. A heart that does not call upon God does not know Him, does not love Him. It is a heart that frequently turns its back on Him, and easily falls prey to sin. “Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob, for you grew weary of me, O Israel.” Such a heart is insensitive to God, alien to godly grief. “You burdened me with your sins, and wearied me with your crimes.” God commands us to “pray without ceasing” 2 Thes 5:17. A prayerful heart finds its delight in the Lord. It is joyful, thankful, gentle and kind. It seeks and obeys the will of God for us in Christ Jesus. It is a heart that continually grows in the love of God. “Whoever keeps His word, the love of God is truly perfected in him” 1 John 5.

We should be faithful. A heart that is unwilling to submit itself to the Lord, to commit itself totally to Him, does not trust in Him. Such a heart is unreliable, a doubting heart that “like the wave of the sea is driven and tossed about by the wind” James 1:6. The Lord detests a doubting heart: “Because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” Rev 3:16. God commands us to believe in Him without reservation, to give Him our unqualified “yes”. Why? Because “God is faithful…For the Son of God, Jesus Christ…was not yes and no, but yes has been in Him…However many are the promises of God, their Yes is in Him…The one who gives us security with you in Christ is God; He has also put His seal upon us and given the Spirit in our hearts as a first installment” 2 Cor 18-22.

The gospel reading contrasts the disbelieving hearts of the scribes, who questioned Jesus’ authority to forgive sins and accused Him of blasphemy, with the persevering faith of the paralytic and his companions, who found a way to bring the paralytic before Jesus in spite of the large crowd around Him. Breaking through the roof of Jesus’ Capernaum home, they let down the paralytic on the floor before Jesus. This scene is symbolic of the humble posture we must have before God. Because of their faith, Jesus declared the paralytic’s sins forgiven, and commanded him to “rise, pick up his mat, and go home” Mark 2:11. The paralytic arose, just as God’s word in 1 Peter 5:6 said, “God will raise up those who humble themselves before Him.”

God assures those who humbly bow to God’s pardon, “It is I, I, who wipe out, for my own sake, your offenses, your sins I remember no more” Isaiah 43:25. Purified of our sins, we receive His beatitude: “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God” Matthew 5:8.