After our heart has been broken we can develop a closed heart.  A closed fist can hold nothing it cannot even grasp anything, it is closed and is ready to defend.  When we have closed heart we have moved from receiving love to protecting our heart.  We have all suffered hurt, we live in a fallen world, hurt is all around us, and we cannot avoid hurt.  But we must go to God to heal the hurt.   Other people may give us sympathy or even encourage us in our anger.   Sympathy may feel good but it does not always draw us to forgiveness.  Anger when it is encouraged is never productive but destructive.

We face a danger with a closed heart, when we close our heart we allow no love in and we send no love out.     When we take no love in, we can become bitter.   The greatest example of a closed heart comes from the Gospels.

John 13:21 When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.”

Judas must have had a closed heart.

We as Christians can ponder the wonder of being in the presence of Jesus as He walked this earth before the crucifixion.  The wonder of hearing His voice, seeing His face, looking into his eyes and feeling His healing touch.

Judas heard His voice, saw His face, looked into His eyes and very likely felt His touch, although no healing went through that touch.  Healing comes by faith:

Matthew 9:22 Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

Luke 18:22 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.”

Judas had no faith, he witnessed many of the miracles Jesus did but his heart was closed.

Matthew 27:1-5 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed.  So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.  “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

We can see that Judas was a case of a closed heart, it is a valid example of how a closed heart will take you places, you will regret.

God wants to free us from our pain and heal us.  As an open hand is ready to receive, we must open our heart to God.  It is important to go to God and share with Him, allowing His deep satisfying love to come into our lives.  God’s deep satisfying love will bring us to places we will treasure and where we will have peace.

Written by Joyce E Poggensee

Verses referenced Matthew 9:22 Luke 18:22 Matthew 27:1-5