Mark 2:6-8 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ⁷ “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ⁸ And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 

I am a questioner at heart! I am constantly asking, “why?”

Scribes were those who wrote and rewrote the law and other text. They were learned men and even teachers at times. What I found to be so interesting about this little passage is that as they questioned within themselves Jesus perceived it and asked out loud about it. He proved in that moment that he was who he said he was. Imagine being such a questioner that you pretty much ignore what just happened right in front of you. That is what these scribes were like. No answer seemed to silence them.

Another thing that I found interesting is the passage says that they questioned in their hearts. While we most commonly think of thinking as being in the head. Jesus and the Bible reveal to us that thinking is done in the heart.

Prov 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

The state of our heart (whether walking in humility or pride) determines from what view or perspective we will take as we go about our day. The scribes seemed to be coming from an “I know” state of heart. I imagine that Jesus reading their heart thoughts was quite a stunning moment for them and one that didn’t yield any other logical answer besides Jesus is God, to which they seem to ignore.

In further thinking about the heart and the mind. I have found that the mind is where you feel and feel again. It is how we get worked up and stay worked up. Dont we have to keep feeling it in our minds in order to stay upset about something? Isn’t this why much emotional struggle is expressed as mental anguish? If we are using our minds to remember how upsetting something was to us. Our hearts will begin to think negatively about it that way. It literally becomes the way we think!

How important is it then that we renew our minds? That renewal comes by thinking in our hearts and pondering about things?

One of the best places to start is by taking all our why questions to the Lord. Jesus isn’t afraid of our questions. He already perceives them.
We often do not acknowledge His answers because we just want a controllable God that makes sense to us. Jesus didn’t make sense to the religious elite. In fact, they often ignore the truth he was and spoke right in front of them. We must learn to stop trying to make logical sense of God and instead let Him reveal the mystery of Himself to us.

Starla