WOUNDED BY UNBELIEF

We’re told throughout the Psalms and other wisdom writings that we have a God who laughs, weeps, grieves, and can be stirred to anger. Likewise, the New Testament tells us we have a high priest in heaven who is touched by the feelings of our infirmities; the same flesh-and-blood Man who was God on earth is now a glorified Man in eternity.

Without question, our Lord is a God who feels. And I have to wonder: How can Jesus not be wounded by the great unbelief taking place throughout the world today?

How often does the Church today wound the Lord by unbelief?

Think of the unbelief of the disciples in the boat with Jesus, as it began to flood from the roiling waves. How wounded Jesus must have been as they aimed these accusing, unbelieving words at Him: “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” (Mark 4:38).

What about the times when Jesus miraculously fed crowds of people with only a few fish and bread loaves? Twice He wrought this miracle, feeding a total of 9,000, not including the women and children on those scenes. Yet, even after these incredible works, Jesus’ own disciples were still mired in unbelief. After one such miracle feeding, Christ spoke to them about the leaven of the Pharisees, and “they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread” (Mark 8:16).

Jesus must have been shocked at their words. He had just miraculously multiplied bread for the masses, before His disciples’ eyes. Clearly He was wounded as He replied to them, “Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? Perceive ye not yet, neither understand? Have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? And having ears, hear ye not? And do ye not remember? When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? . . . How is it that ye do not understand?” (Mark 8:17–19, 21).