Claire Lynch reads from Mark's gospel, day 6 of 47 in our Lent series. Music by Bern Leckie.

How can something good like healing make people so uncomfortable? What was it about Jesus or what he was doing that made religious leaders not just disagree or ignore him, but plot to kill him?

Before dismissing these leaders as rubbish or ignorable, look at how these people made Jesus feel, and why. Mark points to their “stubborn hearts” which produced “anger” in Jesus. Did that mean Jesus wanted to dismiss them? Or that he loved them deeply, and wanted them to see and join in what God was doing which was going to bring about change – in the world, but first in them?

Lots of people wanted to be changed because they knew they were ill. What would encourage me to change when I don’t think I need or want to? Maybe Jesus wants to show us how we can live differently, perhaps more healthily, today so we don’t need to get sick. Why not ask him?

More Lent resources at severnvineyard.org/lent