Insensitivity to God by Kenneth CopelandPosted by admin on May 6th, 2009

The third chapter of Mark speaks of a time when Jesus and His disciples went into the synagogue. There, the Pharisees watched and waited, trying to accuse Him of some violation of their traditions.

Mark 3:1 says, “And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day; that they might accuse him. And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.” One translation says, “stand in the middle.” Jesus brought him right out in the middle to be seen, knowing that everyone there wanted to accuse Him.

And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. And when He had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. But Jesus withdrew himself with His disciples to the sea (Mark 3:4-7).

When Jesus questioned the Pharisees according to the will and purpose of God, they didn’t say anything. He looked on them with anger because of their hardness of heart, or insensitivity.

They were insensitive to who was in their midst, not realizing that it was God. They, of all people, should have known the scriptures. Jesus fit every Messianic prophecy in the Word of God. But they had made traditions from the Word and worshipped their traditions more than God.

Don’t look down on them. We have all done the same thing. We have had a “form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (2 Timothy 3:5). The reason is insensitivity—not being sensitive to the Spirit of God nor to the depth of the price that God Almighty paid so that we can worship Him. This kind of attitude angered Jesus.

Thank God, His anger is but for a moment. We have preached it as though it was forever and the mercy of God was but for a moment. I have determined that I will preach, “His mercy endureth forever” (1 Chronicles 16:34). The Bible says, “His mercy is new every morning” (Lamentations 3:23).

Jesus was angry because the Spirit of God was grieved. I have experienced that grief in my own ministry. It has happened a few times while I was ministering in a prayer line as God’s Spirit was moving. Suddenly, a grieving of the Holy Spirit that cannot be adequately explained in words came up inside me. It was the heaviest grief that I have ever sensed. To minister effectively, one must have the Anointing of God. I need the power of God.

Therefore, I must yield myself totally to the Holy Spirit. My spirit molds together with the Holy Spirit. When I am a yielded vessel to the Spirit of God, I see through His eyes and hear through His ears. My emotions are one with His. I am moved and directed as He is moved. When He is grieved I am grieved and His anointing lifts. When that happens, I am as helpless as a bird without wings. I cannot minister without the Anointing of God.

When God’s anointing stops flowing, that grief becomes like fire down on the inside of my innermost being. I want to know what has caused it. A holy anger comes over me. The first few times that happened I felt condemned for feeling that way.

In one of my meetings, I started to lay my hands on a young woman and she began shaking her head. She cried, “No. No. No!” When I laid my hands on her, nothing happened.

Kenneth Copeland