Tag Archives: Learning

God’s Heart for People

I loved the summer season when I was growing up.  I loved playing baseball, riding my bike and warm summer evenings.  I loved just being outside.  My first ‘job’ was to cut grass at the local KFC.  They paid me $2 and large soft-drink.  What could be better for a 10-year old budding entrepreneur?!  As I got older my grass-cutting jobs evolved so I became an outdoor handy-man; somewhere between a landscaper and window washer.  I saved the money from these summer jobs and, at the age of 15, I bought a really nice drum set.  At the age of 17 I bought my own pick-up truck (an absolute must for any self-respecting teenage boy in Indiana).

I recall one summer in particular.  I had recently become a Christian and I spent much of my time praying and engaging with God as I walked the lawn-mower up & down the big gardens of my customers.  It was a season in my life when I felt happy, content and at peace. I didn’t understand enough about God’s grace to realise this was what I was experiencing; but things just seemed to ‘click’.  The baseball team had won our division championship and played a state final in the professional stadium (read, all-Ireland final in Croke Park).  The band I played for was getting invitations to play in more events around the city.  And I was being asked to speak to youth groups about my newly realised belief in Jesus.  It was one of those seasons when things just seemed to get better and better.  The more time I spent time with God, the more I grew to know Him.  The more I grew to know Him, the more I was learning His heart and learning His ways.

Starting back into school that autumn, things began to change.  The guys in the band weren’t keen on my new perspective on life.  They didn’t want their musical ambitions restricted by their drummer’s convictions about a lifestyle of purity.  The baseball team’s coaching staff changed and, for reasons still unclear to me, the new coach simply didn’t seem to like me.  I soon felt a growing distance from all who were previously my friends.  As a consequence of my desire to share what had changed in me, the entire student body seemed to conclude the once fun, popular Cope had changed; turned weird; gone ‘religious’.

Teenage years are difficult for anyone and those few months were hard for me.  But through it all I felt God’s grace and protection.  I made new friends, I didn’t waiver in my love for the Lord and I sought ways to share His love with others.

One day in class a note was passed to me.  It was from a girl who sat across the room. I only knew her from a distance and had never really spoken to her before.  She hung around in a different crowd.  She was popular and captain of the Cheerleading squad.  Her note said she had questions about God, she wanted to believe, but was afraid of what it might mean.  She didn’t know who else to talk to.  She didn’t want to be seen talking with me but wanted to know if we could exchange notes so she could ask me questions.  A series of letters back & forth eventually led to her being faced with a decision.

That experience taught me a great deal about God’s heart for people.  No matter who they are, where they come from, what they’ve been taught, or what conclusions they’ve made, God loves them.  In addition, each person, every individual has been created in the image of God and carries a unique expression of God within them that the rest of us need to experience.

My cheerleader friend wanted to follow Jesus.  He was revealing himself to her.  Holy Spirit was tugging at her heart.  But she, at the time, felt she did not want to risk the change she felt would surely come to her lifestyle.  So she chose not to respond to God.

I will always remember those letters, the knowing glances across the school hallway when I was convinced she would become a Christian and, especially, the tears that filled my prayers as I discovered the heart of God for people.

No matter what else happens in the life of a church, God’s heart for people must remain a top priority for all we do.  Jesus came to seek and save all who were lost (Lk 19.10).  He did not come to condemn the world but to save it (Jn 3.17) by destroying the works of the devil (1 Jn 3.8) and making abundant life available to all (Jn 10.10).  By coming into relationship with the Father, we have been commissioned to carry on the mission of Jesus (Jn 20.20, Mt 28.18-20).

Years later I received another letter from my cheerleader friend.  We had gone to different colleges and she went to a lot of trouble to find my address.  She wanted to thank me for being patient with her questions and not giving up on her when she chose not to follow Jesus.  Her life had spiralled downwards during her time in college until she met a group of Christians.  She wrote to say she had become a Christian and could now fully appreciate all I had tried to share with her those years before.  She was now active in campus ministries, sharing her love for God with those around her.

She had discovered God’s heart for her – and his heart for others.

 

Development of Belief

“…even if you do not believe me, believe the evidence of the miracles, that you may learn and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father” (Jn 10.38).

When Jesus made this statement, he was speaking to the religious leaders who, in their opposition to him, refused to consider the possibility that their perspective may not be the only explanation for things.  They had heard what Jesus taught but their hardness of heart meant they were unable to recognise the voice of God or understand His message.  Jesus, in his mercy, did not write them off but gave them another opportunity to hear his voice.  This time, he displayed the reality of his love by actions that were visible.   Through both circumstances, Jesus expected people to be able to recognise the voice of the God and respond by applying faith to what they heard (see post).

Responding in belief initiates a process that enables us to learn more about God’s nature and what life in his Kingdom is like.  As we submit ourselves to getting to know the One we believe, we grow more into His likeness.  One way to illustrate this process of learning is to identify the steps from belief to wisdom.

Belief / Faith

Belief is the foundation, the centre, of this process.  Throughout our discussions, we have spoken of how the Father initiates faith within us through His word.  As we recognise his word, and respond to it, we apply faith which ignites the seed of life carried within his word.

  • Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rom 10.17; Jn 5.24)
  • It is with the heart that we believe (Rom 10.10)

While belief and faith are not the same thing, they are extremely similar.   The two English words share the same Greek root words which are translated differently according to the context.  So, for the purpose of our discussion and this illustration I have combined them.

Obey:  Belief leads to obedience.

Obedience is the standard of one who is in relationship with God.  Jesus demonstrated a life of perfect obedience to the Father (Jn 5.19) and expects the same type of humble obedience from his followers (Mt 28.20).

  • If you love me, you will obey my teaching. (Jn 14.23)
  • Anyone who comes after me must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me (Lk 9.23).  

Trust:  Obedience leads to trust.

As we walk in obedience, we learn to trust God.  A lifestyle of obedience in the different areas of our life enables us to trust that God is trustworthy, reliable and faithful.  For example, as we are obedient with our use of money, we learn to trust God as the One from whom all resources come.  Obeying God’s instruction to forgive others as we have been forgiven, we learn to trust God as the One from whom justice and grace come.  In addition, we have opportunity to more fully embrace humility and mercy.

Trusting God does not mean we don’t have questions about what He may ask of us.  Trust is displayed as we maintain a soft-hearted, belief in Him even when we don’t understand why circumstances are the way they are.

On this point, consider two people who questioned what God asked of them through the angel Gabriel.  Mary and Zechariah each asked a question about what the angel announced to them – and the words used in their questions are very similar.  Yet the angel knew that Mary’s question, “How can this be?”, came from a soft-hearted belief that was willing to trust (Lk 1.34,38).  On the other hand, Zechariah’s question, “How can I be sure of this?”, came from an unbelief that had crept into his heart (Lk 1.18,20).

 

Understand:  Trust leads to Understanding.

As we trust God throughout the various circumstances and challenges of life, we learn more about God’s nature which leads us to a deepening understanding of WHO He is.   Often, we want to leap-frog over obedience and trust to get quickly to a place of understanding God.  But that is not how belief and relationship works.

We do not believe because we understand.  We understand because we believe. Understanding comes through a process that is lived alongside the One Whom we believe.  We cannot understand the depths of Who God is unless we have learned obedience and trust.  Any attempts to bypass these areas will only give an incomplete, dichotomised portrayal of God.

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead I have called you friends, for everything I have learned from my Father I have made known to you (Jn 15.15).

In some church contexts, it may be possible to confuse the effects of a Christian sub-culture with a personal trust and/or understanding of God.  However, we must be careful not to presume that a lifestyle of Christian principles equates to an authentic, personal relationship with God, even if the principles are based on biblical standards.  A relationship with God means we know WHO we believe rather than relying on what we believe.

 

Wisdom:  Understanding leads to Wisdom.

One of the outcomes of a life based on belief is that we will grow into a people who display God’s wisdom (Eph 3.10).  As in the natural realm, wisdom can only be gained through process, experience and a humble willingness to continue learning (Pr 11.2, 13.10).  But the first step toward wisdom is through relationship with God (Ps 111.10).  So, a lifestyle of soft-hearted belief along with an active relationship based on obedience and trust will help us grow into wisdom.

Wisdom is much more than a personal characteristic or some type of achievement acknowledged by others.  Wisdom is a description of Jesus himself, who has become the wisdom of God (1 Cor 1.30).  Since we are on a journey toward becoming like Christ we, too, should expect that we will grow into wisdom which will, in turn, deepen our relationship with God (Eph 1.17).

Do you see the connection with the ever-increasing nature of this?  But, so you don’t think I am aiming for some lofty, out-of-touch philosophy; the wisdom I’m speaking about has a practical impact on those around us (James 3.13-18).  In keeping with the process of soft-hearted belief, the life of wisdom bears witness to the life, message and ministry of Jesus.

 

Believe that you may learn and understand.  Life with God is a consistent process of growth.  As we increase in faith and expand our belief through obedience, trust, understanding to wisdom we learn to say, along with the apostle Paul, “…I know the one whom I have believed” (2 Tim 1.12).

 

 

Wisdom’s Children

Have you ever noticed how Jesus can be talking about something and then, he makes a statement that appears to come completely out of the blue?  Often, this type of statement is a concluding comment after he’s been teaching about something – but, the concluding comment seems to have no relevance to the point he was just making.  Obviously, Jesus understood how to the two seemingly divergent points were connected – even if they appear confusing to us at first glance.  I’ve made a practice of studying these comments because, I really want to learn how to make the connection between points that Jesus made.

At the end of his explanation to the people about John the Baptist, Jesus made one of those concluding comments that for a long time seemed out of place to me.  After speaking about John the Baptist and affirming that the people acknowledged God’s way was right, Jesus finished his teaching with the seemingly unrelated comment, “Wisdom is proven right by all her children” (Lk 7.35).

But, as I look at this chapter in the context of our current discussion, it has become much clearer.

The Greek word used in phrase for ‘proven right’ can also be translated as ‘exhibited as right’, ‘declared as just’.  The intention of the words is that the children of God are able to do more than simply identify or recognise the wisdom of God.  They are able to declare its justice, to prove or exhibit it’s right-ness.  This is similar to the wording used in Rom 12.2, when Paul says the believer who is being transformed by the renewing of their mind, is able to ‘prove’ the perfect will God.  The children of God are able not only to recognise the character of God through his words and his actions; but they are also able to prove, approve, discern his will through the wisdom they have gained through relationship with him.

Wisdom about God, comes through our experiences with God.  Encountering him.  Engaging with him.  Learning his ways so we can know him.  This level of understanding cannot be arrived at through theory or principles.  On the contrary, this understanding is an outcome of a relationship with the One who is believed.  Only in an active, ongoing, relationship are we able to deepen our understanding of God – his character, his nature and his heart.  And this learning for understanding is based on belief in him.

 

Jesus’ seemingly out-of-place statement is actually connecting the effects of John’s ministry with what the angel Gabriel said about John when he announced his upcoming birth.  He said that John will “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people for the Lord” (Lk 1.17).

The statement about turning of the fathers’ hearts to the children points to an effect of earthly, parental relationships, but I also think it refers to the spiritual fathers & mothers who will nurture their spiritual children.  Subsequently, the children of God will display an inherent wisdom that is demonstrated in their righteous priorities, lifestyle, decision-making and pursuit of the Kingdom (cf Eph 3.10).  The result is that those separated from God (the disobedient) will hear and see the wisdom and love of God through those who live in relationship with Him. Through their humble recognition of God’s wisdom, those apart from God will recognise the voice of God (Believe), respond to the invitation to join His family and become (Learn) a people being made ready for the Lord (Understand).

Do you see how this comes full circle?   The children of God naturally display the wisdom and righteousness of God, giving those who do not yet know God an opportunity to encounter Him.  In their humility and hunger for what is right and just, people are able to recognise and respond to the wisdom and love of God.  But this depends on those who are in relationship with Him to be a witness of who God is through what they say and what they do.

 

Tell John What You’ve Seen & Heard

When John the Baptist was in prison he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the One who was to come or should we expect another?” (Lk 7.20).   In his typical manner of responding to questions, Jesus didn’t give a direct answer.

I like that. Jesus didn’t get drawn into the debates and word games the Pharisees tried to lure him into.  But, rarely did he reply to someone’s question in such a way the person would feel his response was a clear-cut, black & white answer.  Rather, Jesus usually answered in such a way as to highlight the person’s ability to choose.  He demonstrated a respect for the individual.  He honoured their right to exercise their will.  So, he gave information which would allow the questioner to explore their heart, recognise the voice of the Father, investigate the Scriptures and, ultimately, come to belief.  This process, though it may seem a bit illusive, is really the most life-giving way to respond.  It meant the one who asked the question will be able to ‘own’ the answer for themselves, rather than be expected to simply accept the answer Jesus gave.

His response to the question from John the Baptist, was for John’s disciples to go back and report what they had “seen and heard”.  Then he went on to list a number of miracles: the blind can see, the lame can walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf can hear, the dead are raised, and good news is preached to the poor.

By reminding John that the message of God is delivered through what is heard and what is seen, Jesus makes it crystal clear that the whole gospel is communicated in words (Jn 5.24, 17.8) and in action (Mt 4.23f; Acts 10.38).  Therefore, the works of Jesus were just as much a part of God’s message as the words he spoke and taught.

 

Jesus went on to teach the crowd about how John the Baptist was the messenger who prepared the way for the Messiah.  By saying this, Jesus declared that he really was the Messiah.   At the end of this declaration, the author makes an astounding statement.  “All the people, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptised by John.  But the Pharisees rejected God’s purpose, because they had not been baptised by John” (Lk 7.29-30).

This is amazing!  The people, even the tax collectors, were able to acknowledge that God’s way was right.  How could normal people, untrained in theology and the religious traditions, be able to determine the rights or wrongs of God’s ways?  How could they even be expected to identify what God’s ways were?  And what does being baptised by John have to do with being able to identify God’s purposes?

Baptism was a very public event in those days.  To have been baptised, would have meant the majority of the villagers would have either seen the baptism or quickly heard about it from others who had witnessed it.  So, anyone getting baptised would not have done so lightly.  They would have recognised a need and come to a place of humility.  It is also said that John’s baptism was one of repentance – so people would have been willing to adjust their perspective and align themselves with godly thinking.  I think it is safe to say the people would have been hungry for God and John’s preaching helped them prepare to hear the voice of God for themselves.  And, God’s people are identified by their ability to hear what he says (Jn 8.47).

This attitude of humility and repentance stands in stark contrast to the attitude expressed by the religious leaders, who seemed resolute in their pride and unwillingness to consider the possibility they could be wrong.  This refusal to repent meant their hearts remained hard (Mt 23.13; Mk 7.6) which kept them from seeing or hearing the message of God.  But, the people who had chosen repentance, displayed their humility by being baptised.

Even if their experience of John’s baptism lacked articulated depth, the people recognised something in their hearts that was ready to respond with belief.  In this way, they became exposed to the nature and character of God.  Later, when they saw the works that Jesus did, the experience led to an understanding that God’s way was right.  The good news of Jesus’ teaching, matched the good news of his miracles.  Suddenly, their experience of God held much more freedom, grace, mercy and love than they had ever encountered.  They believed, learned and understood because of what they had seen and heard.  This was precisely the opposite for the Pharisees and teachers of the Law.

 

 

Believe, Learn, Understand

“…even if you do not believe me, believe the evidence of the miracles, that you may learn and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father” (Jn 10.38).

One of my favourite scenes from a film is from Kevin Costner’s Field of Dreams (watch clip – this will take you to another website).  The premise is that the farmer, Ray, removes acres of corn from his fields to construct a baseball diamond for players who died before they could achieve their baseball dreams.  Each night the diamond fills with these mysterious people who play hours of baseball before disappearing back into the corn when finished.  But not everyone can see the players.  Ray’s brother-in-law can’t see them, he can only see how the loss of the corn is causing the family to lose the farm.  One afternoon when one of the players steps off the field to assist an injured child, the brother-in-law is finally able to ‘see’ the players – and his understanding of reality is instantly changed.

It is striking how the way we view reality shapes the way we think.  Like the brother-in-law in the film, whose perception of reality did not include the possibility that dead baseball players would come back to play a meta-physical game in a redesigned corn-field in the middle of Iowa, we all have expectations of reality that are based on what we believe.

Belief provides the context on which we build our view of reality.  What we believe determines how we think, which determines how we live.  Belief leads to understanding.  Learning more from the One we believe, helps us grow into greater understanding.

I remember the first time I heard someone say that God is good.  I had been a Christian for a long time but the idea that God is good had not yet penetrated through my false perceptions of God as being angry at people – angry at me (see post).  Hearing this statement challenged me to investigate the Scriptures.  What I found there led me to reconsider the conclusions I had come to about God.  I realised that I needed to adjust my beliefs so they would be in line with His nature; rather than being in line my broken perceptions of his nature.  Through making this adjustment, I have grown in a deeper, more complete understanding of God, myself and the world around me.

I also remember when I first came across someone with a genuine prophetic gifting.  I had never experienced a conversation with someone who had such supernatural insight into the secrets of my heart.  Whereas I had been taught this type of spiritual activity was not to be trusted, and therefore, should be avoided; the clarity and accuracy I experienced was undeniable.  I again found myself searching the Scriptures for wisdom as I learned more about how God speaks through his people.

I’ll never forget the first few miraculous healings I witnessed.  Again, I had grown up in a belief system that did not presume God actually wanted people to be well.  For me, sickness and disease were a part of life and we simply had to do our best with what life [fate] brought us.  But when I encountered a church that took seriously the fact that Jesus’ work on the cross was for, in the same measure, our diseases as well as our sin (Ps 103.3) I was, again, challenged to reconsider my perceptions.  When I witnessed a woman who had been paralysed get up out of her wheelchair and run across a stage, I entered a new paradigm that challenged me to re-learn what I believe.   (Read post: This will take you to another blog site).

This is, I think, what Jesus was trying to communicate.  God desires all people to be in relationship with him so he speaks in various ways to communicate his love and desire for relationship.  Outside that relationship people have varying degrees of hard-heartedness, but a willingness to hear, see and respond to the message of God enables our hearts to recognise his voice and respond with belief.  On this foundation of belief we are able to learn more about God’s nature, his character and his ways which, in turn, influences our understanding of who He is, who we are and how life in His Kingdom operates.

Knowing Who we believe, rather than what we believe, helps us settle into a posture of intimacy with the Father in which he provides a peace that goes beyond what we can define with our understanding (Phil 4.7).  In this relationship of trust, Jesus promises that, when we come to him we will learn from him (Mt 11.28-29).  Belief in Jesus compels us, entices us and draws us into deeper experiences with him.

We don’t believe because we understand; we understand because we believe.  Therefore, it is essential that we know WHO it is we believe, rather than simply what we believe.  The more we are with him, the more we learn (Jn 15.15).  The more we learn, the more we understand.

Believe, Learn and Understand.

Speech of Miracles

We have put much of our focus on the Word of God.  How Jesus himself is the Word made flesh, and his words are Spirit and Life which never pass away.  Through our relationship with him, our spirit-self recognises His words and we respond to the substance of God contained in them.  And, as we grow in our ability to recognise the words of God, we learn to identify how our physical bodies react to the tangible nature of God’s spoken word.

Even though God’s words are a powerful, life-creating, substance, his mode of communication isn’t limited to speaking words.  In fact, Jesus described his working of miracles as a form of speech.

When the religious teachers pressed Jesus to tell them plainly if he was the Christ, he responded by saying, “I did tell you, the miracles I do speak for me” (Jn 10.25).  Brilliant!!  I love that response.  In a single statement he reminded them of their heritage as a chosen nation, and their responsibility as teachers of the Law, to listen, hear and obey the words of God.  First, he made clear that he had already answered their question – even if they hadn’t heard him articulate the words.  Second, he placed the working of miracles firmly in the realm of a speech.

Did you catch this?  The working of a miracle is not just a supernatural act; it has a significance deeper than the activity it is performing.  When Jesus healed the paralysed man, the miracle did a number of things: (1) the paralysis was reversed and the man’s body began functioning as it should, (2) the activity of the miracle demonstrated that the kingdom of God was present and able to change physical realities; and (3) the miracle was communication from God.

Miracles, or other activities of God, are not an end in themselves.  While they create a specific result, they are not solely for that purpose.  Miracles reveal; they communicate; they speak; and for those who ‘hear’ their language, they draw us into a deeper understanding of God’s character and nature.

Jesus was trying to explain these principles to the religious leaders.  I have spoken through my teaching, but you did not hear.  I have also spoken through my working of miracles, but you did not hear their message either.  Jesus then went on to repeat what the miracles had already said, namely, that he and the Father are one (Jn 10.30).

The religious leaders, reacting to the audible words spoken by Jesus, made moves to stone him.  In doing so, they revealed that their hearts were too hard to ‘hear’ the truth of God contained within Jesus’ words.  Demonstrating a measure of his grace, Jesus put the focus of his ‘why’ question back onto the miracles; “I have shown you many great miracles, for which one do you stone me?”  By re-directing their attention back to the miracles, Jesus was giving them an opportunity to allow their hearts to ‘hear’ based on what they had ‘seen’.  But, they missed this opening and remained hard-heartedly focused on the words they heard.

In his response, Jesus went on to say something that has captured my attention the last few years.  He said, “…even if you do not believe me [the words I say], believe the evidence of the miracles, that you may learn and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father” (Jn 10.38).   This statement unveils a process that will help us grow into deeper understanding of who we are in relationship with the Father.

Believe, that you may Learn and Understand.

Hearing and Seeing

The explanation Jesus gives to the parable of the soils (Mt 13.11-17) contains another significant lesson that is often confused and misunderstood by many.  One of the challenges of a biblical teacher is to help people understand passages like this, which have often been misinterpreted and misapplied.

In his explanation, Jesus referred to a prophecy from Isaiah which stated that there would be a people who would be “… ever hearing but never understanding; ever seeing but never perceiving…”.   We could spend a lot of time working through various elements of this prophecy, but I’ll attempt to be brief (and hope my brevity doesn’t lead to further misunderstanding).  While the passage may be confusing, one of the key statements Jesus made was that the prophecy was fulfilled in the actions of the religious leaders who were opposing him.

  • Jesus had said previously that the religious leaders had taken away [from the people] the key to knowledge (Lk 11.52).  In effect, they had turned from their roles as priests, teachers & leaders, and adopted a political and religious mind-set which they inflicted on the people, thereby leading them away from God.  In doing this they removed the potential for the people to access the keys of spiritual truth given to them through the scriptures.  Jesus came to restore the keys to the knowledge of the kingdom back to the people (Mt 13.11; cf 16.19).
  • In maintaining the positions of teachers & priests they had access to the truths of God. This meant they were ever seeing and ever hearing.  But in relinquishing their role as teachers & priests of God, and engaging in the religious and political mindsets, their hearts become increasingly calloused.  This is how they became those who did not perceive or understand.
  • In their position, they led the people of Israel to reject God’s message as presented through Jesus. Following this widespread rejection by the nation of Israel, the disciples soon took the message of the God’s love to other nations and peoples.  A careful study of Scripture uncovers how it was always God’s plan for all people to have access to his salvation (cf Romans 11).
  • Jesus clearly stated that this prophecy from Isaiah was fulfilled (Mt 13.14).  This means it no longer applies as a prophetic declaration about a future people – it’s already been fulfilled. While the principle of the message may remain true for those who choose to remain behind closed eyes and ears, the prophetic declaration in itself reached its fulfillment in Jesus’ day.  On that basis, it is incorrect to interpret from this passage that God is, in some way, intentionally keeping people from seeing or hearing His message.

Significantly, even though the prophecy was about a people who remained calloused, those people were offered an opportunity to change.  The passage says that if the Pharisees had ‘turned’ by opening their eyes to see and their ears to hear, they would have been able to recognise God’s word in their hearts and He would have healed them.  This is one of the most incredible passages in the New Testament.  It reveals the extent of God’s grace and mercy.  It reveals His heart for people to be saved from the condition of their heart – even the hardest and most calloused of hearts.  It also reveals His integrity and commitment to honour His Word.

But, this passage also holds a significant key to realising how God delivers his message.  We know he delivers His message through his spoken Word; so it can be heard.  But this passage makes clear he also delivers his message in such a way it can be seen.

Before Jesus began explaining the detail of the parable to the disciples, he told them, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you…” and, “whoever has will be given more…” (Mt 13.11, 12).  Therefore, it is important we carefully consider what we hear… and what we see.

Dilemma of a Hard Heart

With all the discussion about soft hearts, I find myself somewhat troubled.

On one hand, I’m encouraged by what I’m learning about a soft heart.  Especially, as I grow in recognition of the many ways Holy Spirit may speak.  These lessons about a soft heart are comforting and instructional; yet, I remain bothered.  What about those whose hearts have become hardened?  Are they doomed to life with an inability to recognise and respond to God?

I understand that there may be some who have rejected God, His Word and His goodness for so long that their hearts look more like a concrete car park rather than the compacted soil of a foot-path in Jesus’ parable.  But does this mean that God’s Word cannot penetrate the armour of their heart?

In addition, I have experienced enough of life to know that many people have a hard edge to their heart but, deeper down, their hearts are soft.  They are merely putting up defences in attempts to protect themselves.  Many people who have a hardened exterior, have actually been hurt, disappointed or disillusioned and are attempting to keep others, or God, from getting too close for fear of being hurt again.  But, if these people have allowed hardness to build up around their hearts through the continued rebuffing of God’s good news, will He leave them trapped within the cavern of their callouses?

These, and similar examples, are where I sense the dilemma.  How will God’s message of goodness and truth pierce through the outer layers of a heart which have been solidified by someone’s choices?

We know that God is a good Father who desires that all people are in relationship with him (Rom 8.16; 1 Tim 2.4).  We know that the Word of God contains the Life and Essence of God Himself (Jn 6.63).  We know that it is with the heart that one believes (Rom 10.17) and we know that in order for one to believe the message of God’s Word, it must be presented and explained to them (Rom 10.14).  But, if the heart is hard, how is one able to hear and receive the seed of His Word?  If the heart is hard, how is one able to recognise the voice of God apply faith, and respond?

We briefly considered this challenge in an earlier part of our discussion (see post) but at the time we were building on the concept of learning how to listen.  The problem now becomes much more poignant; and Jesus’ explanation of the parable of the soils gives an insight into God’s solution.

Lessons of a Soft Heart

If, as we’ve discussed, the soil of the soft heart enables the seed of God’s Word to germinate, take root and grow, it is vital that we monitor the state of our hearts.  Regularly taking stock of the heart’s condition will help keep us attentive to Jesus’ instruction, sensitive to the Spirit’s direction and responsive to the Kingdom truths we hear.  This attention to the heart facilitates our ability to identify with the heart of God as we relate to the world around us.

This appears to be what Jesus expects of us as well.  After his resurrection, in conversation with the two disciples on the Emmaus Road, Jesus scolded them for not being able to apply the Scriptural truths (what Jesus had taught them) with the circumstances of recent events.  But he didn’t call them out for being insincere or apathetic.  He didn’t chastise them for not being able to apply chapter and verse to the recent events.  He simply said they were “slow of heart to believe” (Lk 24.25).   The heart usually recognises truth before the head.  A heart enriched with soft soil, that is cleared of weeds and stones, will be quicker to respond to the truths of God when we come across them.  This is what Jesus had expected of these two disciples.

It is with the heart that we believe, so we must give careful consideration to what we hear.

The rest of his conversation with them gives further insight into this dynamic and highlights the importance of recognising what is going on within our hearts.  After Jesus mysteriously disappeared from their table, the two disciples compared their experience and recognised their hearts had been burning while Jesus spoke with them (Lk 24.32).

It is with the heart that we believe, so we must give careful consideration to how we listen.   

This story also illustrates two more components in the process of belief.  As we give attention to what is going on within our hearts our ‘eyes’ are opened to see, or perceive, the truths being sensed by our hearts (Lk 24.31).  But, as we discussed previously (see post), merely ‘seeing’ the truths does not imply an immediate or complete understanding of these truths.  We need for our minds to catch up with our hearts.  We need our minds to be opened in order to grow into deeper understanding (Lk 24.45).

These are the ideas to which we’ll now turn our attention.

 

 

Soil of the Heart

I really like studying the parables of Jesus.   Whenever I go back over them I frequently discover new meaning, deeper truths or an application to my circumstances I hadn’t realised previously.  I especially like reading how, after telling a parable, Jesus would explain its meaning to the Twelve.  My favourite explanation is from Matthew 13 when Jesus explains the parable of the soils.

The common denominator for the different individuals referred to in this parable is the condition of the ‘soil’ of their heart.  But another element that stands out to me is the part that understanding plays in the growth of the seed.  If someone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the seed that was sown is snatched away.  Notice that the soil which represents this situation is along the path.  Any path I’ve ever known is hard, packed-down by footsteps over time.  Not even grass grows in the worn soil of a path.  This provides the perfect imagery for a heart that is hardened over time.  And, in the context of our recent discussions, a hard heart is unlikely to be able recognise the voice of God when he speaks.

This worn, hardened soil of the path is a stark contrast to the good soil of a soft heart.  A location where seeds can be placed and plants can easily grow, is soil that has been cleared of rocks and weeds.  The rough soil at the top has been gently broken up, nourished and watered.  It has been nurtured.  The soft heart is ready to hear the message of the kingdom because it knows how to consider carefully what it hears.  The soft heart is skilled at recognising the voice of God, the words that come from Jesus; and is prepared to respond to his voice in an instant.  The soft heart doesn’t need to deliberate or hesitate; immediate response is its habit.  And, because the soft heart knows that the voice of God is the source of its nourishment, it trusts that the message which is carried by the voice, contains only what will be good for the soil.  With that perspective, obedience to the message is never questioned.

This is, I think, how the heart with good soil is able to hear and understand the word.  The soft heart begins from a premise of belief; and, understanding flows from belief.   In contrast, the harder the soil of our heart, the more difficult it is to operate from a premise of belief.  In that instance, one will find it more difficult to truly understand.

With that in mind, it is very important that we cultivate the soil of our heart; doing our best to maintain a soft heart, guarding ourselves against offense, bitterness, anger and other postures that cause hardness.  It is also important that we develop regular habits and disciplines which help us identify and remove the ‘weeds’ that attempt to take root.  And, it is essential that we learn vulnerability within a Christian community so our brothers and sisters can encourage and assist us in removing the rocks and rubble we inevitably uncover in our journey toward Christ-likeness.

The heart is the seat of belief (Rom 10.17) so maintaining a soft heart is prerequisite to being able to recognise and respond to the voice of God.