Mark 6:52
For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
Our verse today comes from another one of Jesus’ maritime adventures. Since many of His disciples were fishermen, and much of the land where He ministered was surrounded by water, it’s no surprise that these stories are so frequent. This particular evening is perhaps the most famous of all—it’s the night Peter walked on water. While Mark doesn’t record Peter’s steps, Matthew does. Yet what caught my heart this morning wasn’t the miracles themselves but this small and sobering statement: “Their heart was hardened.”
It’s hard to imagine how, in the middle of such miracles, someone’s heart could be hardened—but apparently, it can be. That evening wasn’t just a miraculous night; it followed a miraculous day, where Jesus fed thousands with a meal fit for only a couple of men. And that day came on the heels of a miraculous week, filled with preaching, healing, and casting out devils. Yet, despite witnessing all these wonders, the disciples' hearts were hardened by lack of consideration.
And here is the first lesson: in moments of great busyness, we’re especially vulnerable to a hardened heart. The miracles that once left us in awe can start to feel like just another part of life. The divine becomes mundane.
I’ve been there. When we first left my job to go to Africa, I didn’t know how God would provide. I had only a few hundred dollars and so many needs—travel, feeding my family of five, paying bills, and saving to move across the world. Yet little by little, God provided. At first, every provision brought tears to my eyes and moved me to worship because I knew it was Him. But over time, what had felt miraculous became ordinary. My worship faded, and my gratitude grew dull. Even in the midst of His faithful provision, my heart was hardened, because I no longer considered all He was doing.
I wonder if the gradual nature of the miracle of the loaves contributed to the disciples’ hardened hearts. Unlike the sudden and shocking miracle of Jesus walking on water—where John tells us they were immediately at the shore when He entered the boat—the feeding of the multitude happened little by little. Jesus kept breaking and distributing the bread, and by and by, the need was met. I think sometimes we fail to notice the “little miracles” in our own lives. Day by day, He feeds us. Week by week, He sustains us. Year by year, He keeps us. But because His provision is gradual, we don’t stop to consider it, and our hearts grow hard.
So, what does it take to soften a hardened heart? Sometimes, it takes a storm. Just as the disciples spent that night rowing hard against the wind, sometimes we need to be placed in impossible situations where we’re reminded of our need for Him. And when He comes to our rescue, we’re shocked back into awe of who He is. That’s what happened with the disciples that night. After He stilled the storm, “they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33). Their hearts were no longer hardened, and they were reminded of His greatness.
Perhaps today your heart has grown hard because you haven’t stopped to consider all He’s done for you. Day by day, week by week, He’s been feeding and sustaining you, but you’ve taken it for granted. Or maybe you’re in the middle of a storm, rowing against the waves. If so, rest assured there’s a purpose in it. Any moment now, He could lift you out of the storm and bring you to a peaceful shore. And when He does, your heart will be filled with awe and worship once again, and you’ll remember to consider His goodness, lest you find your self in that same boat again.
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