Lent: Day 17

Though Jesus had done a number of signs in their presence, there were still many who didn’t believe in him. This fulfilled the word of Isaiah the prophet,

“Lord, who has believed our report?
    To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

For this cause they couldn’t believe, for Isaiah said again,

“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart,
    lest they should see with their eyes,
    and perceive with their heart,
    and would turn,
    and I would heal them.”

Isaiah said these things when he saw his glory, and spoke of the Christ. Many believed in him, even among the rulers, but because of the Pharisees they didn’t confess it. Loving praise from others rather than from God, they feared being put out of the synagogue.

Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me. Whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness. Whoever listens to my sayings, and doesn’t believe, is not judged by me. I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. Whoever rejects me, and doesn’t receive my sayings, is judged by the word that I spoke, because I spoke not from myself, but from the Father who sent me. He gave me a word to speak, and I know his word is eternal life. The things I say are what the Father has said to me.”

Reflections

 

Exodus 7-14 speaks both of God hardening Pharaoh’s heart and of Pharaoh hardening his own heart. The same idea is expressed here: unbelief can be used by God, even if not caused by God. How do you see belief and unbelief at work in your own life? Is God pulling you one way or another, or are these choices you are making on your own? 

Prayer: Be at work in my life, Lord, drawing me ever closer to you.