Hard-hearted...or hard-headed

In Mark 6:1-15, Jesus comes to his hometown and runs into the closed minds of the people who knew him and who thought that they knew all about who Jesus was. They were not able to open themselves to see more than Jesus the carpenter's son. Jesus disciples experienced some of this when they went out in pairs to minister. Jesus gave them instructions on how to proceed. Skip and Carol Tobin, former missionaries who work with Virginia Mennonite Missions and Eastern Mennonite Missions, invited us to look at how we can be like the people of Jesus' hometown. We have tendencies to judge and to close our hearts and minds to others. They also helped us to look at the instructions that Jesus gave to his disciples. Can we stick with Jesus during our successes and failures? Can we submit during those times when others speak into our lives and take advantage of those opportunities to learn?