Hard Hearts and Open Hearts

 


The Pharisees ask what the law permits a man to do. Jesus redirects them toward what God intends.

In Matthew 19:1–15, Jesus moves us:

• From control to covenant
• From disposability to dignity
• From conformity to calling
• From exclusion to welcome

Jesus will not allow law, marriage, singleness, or religious custom to become a mechanism for controlling, discarding, or excluding people. He calls us away from hard-heartedness and toward covenant faithfulness, human dignity, and openhearted welcome.

His teaching must never be used to excuse cruelty, protect abuse, silence wounded people, or exclude those whose relationships have ended. The same Jesus who honors covenant also protects human dignity and opens his arms to wounded people.

Read the sermon companion and access the subscriber study and reflection guides:

https://tomsims.substack.com/p/the-hard-heart-and-the-open-arms

Hard Questions:  

https://pastortom.blog/2026/08/16/hard-hearts-or-open-arms/

Join the Conversation on Facebook:

 https://www.facebook.com/tomsims/videos/27621887424173848

More from Tom Sims:

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#Matthew19 #PeopleAreNeverDisposable #PastorTomSims



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