Hard Heart

Hard Heart

Luke 22:66-71 And when it was day, the Council of elders of the people assembled, both chief priests and scribes, and they led Him away to their council chamber, saying, 67 "If You are the Christ, tell us." But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe; 68 and if I ask a question, you will not answer. 69 "But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God." 70 And they all said, "Are You the Son of God, then?" And He said to them, "Yes, I am." 71 And they said, "What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth." (NAS)
The Elders are so certain of their authority that they taunt Jesus to condemn himself. They have paid men to lie before the court and even that is bungled so badly it fails. It raises and interesting point though. Jesus willingly walked into the conviction of the Council. He condemned Himself, and the sentence was automatic. Jesus, however, quietly rendered his own two part conviction before He took the next step toward the cross.
"If I tell you, you will not believe; …" Jesus utters a stark pronouncement. It is both a foreshadowing of His own statement that He is the Christ. And it is a terrible gauge of the hardness of their hearts. Just like Jesus' parable at the end of Luke 16 where the rich man begs that someone go and warn his brothers of their impending condemnation to Hades. Jesus tells the rich man that, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.'. These men were so convinced of their position, they were not listening and would not listen. …and if I ask a question, you will not answer. The Lord issues His second pronouncement. They were no longer even willing to debate the issue. Debate and discussion was their way of life. It was how they determined the interpretation of the Law and the Prophets. As far as the issue of Jesus being the Messiah, their minds where made up. There was no room for discussion.
Does this mean that none of these men ever came to the realization that Jesus was indeed the Messiah? Not at all. I have seen the hardest hearts broken and most stubborn minds crumble as the Master touches their lives. For some He literally allows them to reach the end of their resources. Surely, these men were leaning on their resources of political authority and power, personal and spiritual pride and power. For others, like Joseph of Arimathea, are rocked by something Jesus does in their lives or says to them either personally or through one of His children. Did Joseph crumble at the raising of Lazarus from the dead? What was it for you that finally broke through?
However it happens, it is only Jesus Himself that can change the heart. There is no heart that is beyond His reach. There is only the heart, like Judas, that will not turn when it is called. Don't despair when people you pray for seem to be heading down the wrong path. That may be how Jesus must exhaust their resources. If nothing ever seems to phase another person, you may not see the internal turmoil they are going through. Love them and keep praying
Lord Jesus, Your ways are not our ways and we often miss what You are doing in our lives and in the lives of others. Remind us that You are indeed in control and nothing is beyond Your view or Your reach. Give us the strength to remain constant in prayer and faith when what we see doesn't make sense. You can reach the hard heart. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Life Assignment

Life  Assignments "I don't say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any circumstances I have learned the secret of being content-whether well-fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:11-13 HCSB) Paul said he "learned to be content." It wasn't automatic or natural for us mortals to be content. I am grateful we have a secret weapon - God's strength. God has a predestined plan for each of us. When given an impossible life assignment, there is no need for us to talk down our qualities. We may be tempted to give excuses why we can't do it, or to give reasons why we don't feel qualified. God isn't buying any excuses. He provides us with His strength and His assurance that His grace is enough to help us handle new situations and predicaments.
Read more

Lost and Found

Lost and Found            It was a warm autumn day, and people gathered to celebrate with a couple who were committing their lives to one another. They filled the small college chapel and awaited the bride to be brought in to begin the ceremony. There were a couple brief delays, as often happens with weddings. First there was the true rumor that the bride forgot her veil, and the groom went to retrieve it. Next was an incident with a fabric steamer and the wedding dress - already wrapped around her. And finally, before the journey up the steps and down the first path of the marital journey, they were all awaiting the bride’s Uncle who was incorrectly rumored as wearing no pants. But instead, he brought the wrong pair of pants - jeans, in fact. At least, it gave rise to a smile that bode well in photo of that moment she walked toward her soon-to-be husband, patiently waiting her..            That memory snippet was part of a day I cherish. It is some of what comes to mind when
Read more

Stop Overthinking

Stop Overthinking             Have you ever been practicing something and found yourself overthinking it? As a member of more than one choir over the years I recall moments of overthinking my breathing spots. Instructors would go over the best places to focus on a breath, to allow for desirable results in hitting notes and getting though phrases without sounding as though we were all gasping for air like an athlete during the final fifty yards of a marathon. And while in the end it worked well the process could be tedious and challenging. When I played on the basketball team, the coach had us working on doing proper layups. She got us to focus on the right foot leading off for a left-side layup then the left leading off for a right-side layup. The proper footing better ensured a consistent successful shot in game time. For a while, many of us, during practice, seemed more inclined to have increased failed attempts as opposed to successful ones - apparently, we were still overthinkin
Read more