“The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.” (Mark 3:6, ESV)
There is a point in Mark’s gospel, in chapter 3, where Jesus has a confrontation with the Pharisees over whether or not he should heal a man with a withered hand. Mark writes that, as Jesus entered the synagogue, the Pharisees watched him to see whether or not he would heal the man on the Sabbath (3:2). Notice Mark does not write that the Pharisees watched to see if the work of God might be on display through the healing of this man. They were not interested in seeing God at work; they were interested in keeping control.
Knowing their hearts (3:5), Jesus called the man with the withered hand over to him to ask a question. However, this question was not for the man—it was for the Pharisees who were watching him. Jesus asks, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” (3:4)
What was the answer given from the Pharisees? Silence.
Jesus then asks for the man to stretch out his hand. The man does so, and his hand is restored (3:5). It is in verse 6 where we now see the fruit of the Pharisees’ hard hearts.
After all this has played out in front of the Pharisees, who were intently watching Jesus, they left the area and held a meeting with one purpose in mind—find a way to destroy Jesus.
The questions are obvious: Why meet to find a way to destroy Jesus? Why not meet with each other about recalibrating everything they have thought up to this point? Why not meet with Jesus about what just took place in front of them? Why not fall at his feet and beg for him to be merciful to them?
The answer: The fruit of hard hearts.
It is the fruit of a hard heart that blinds them to see the truth of what just took place. It is the fruit of a hard heart that will not allow them to be moved to a place of humility and repentance. It is the fruit of a hard heart that sees the works of God on display and plans to destroy the one through whom those works come.
The Pharisees are living out what they believe—they are not hypocrites. They know in their hearts that what has taken place is wrong and they must do something about it. They are convinced and yet blind at the same time. This is the disgusting fruit of a hard heart.
And yet, we ought not despair because God has not left us without hope. God, through Ezekiel, says, “I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26, ESV)