47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.
"What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."
Isn’t it amazing the lengths flesh will go not to believe in the obvious – willingly shutting their eyes against the light received? This presents to us a clear display of the desperate wickedness of man’s natural heart. Having their hearts and minds fixed on earthly things, in the face of overwhelming evidence, they shut their eyes, refusing to be convinced of the Truth. They readily admit Jesus performed many miracles yet refused to yield to his testimony plunging headlong into further wickedness. They acknowledge His credentials yet all the while deny His commission.
“Man is now a horror to God and to himself and a creature ill-adapted to the universe not because God made him so but because he has made himself so by the abuse of his free will.” C. S. Lewis
There is certainly nothing new under the sun. I am reminded of God’s Word to Moses regarding the lack of belief the Israelites displayed:
11 The LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them? Num 14:11 (NIV)
Certainly our verses for today prove that mankind can be privy to miraculous signs and wonders yet their hearts remain as hard as stone. Man’s unbelief is a far more deeply rooted disease than common opinion holds true. It is only the grace of God that melts the heart of stone. This is reminiscent of Jesus’ Word when He told the story of the rich man and the beggar Lazarus. As you are aware, the rich man lived in the lap of luxury unconcerned with those in his sphere. Lazarus, covered in sores, was a beggar at this man’s gate and longed to eat what fell from his table. Both die. Lazarus goes to heaven carried by angels to Abraham’s side, the rich man to hell. In torment, the rich man longs for Lazarus to dip his finger in water and come cool his tongue due to the agony of the fire – the arrogance remains evident does it not? Abraham states the following:
25 "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' Luke 16:25-26 (NIV)
The rich man replies with the following request which hits our point for today:
27 "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' 29 "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' 30 "'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' 31 "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'" Luke 16:27-31 (NIV)
"No iron chain, or outward force of any kind, can ever compel the soul of a person to believe or to disbelieve." Thomas Carlyle
David writes in Psalm 32:
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. 9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Psalms 32:8-9 (NIV)
"Always remain alert to the fact that where one man has gone back is exactly where anyone may go back." Oswald Chambers
Interestingly, that which the Pharisees stated they feared the end result would be from Jesus’ growing influence – the Romans coming and taking away their place and nation – was mere pretence. Jesus had proclaimed His Kingdom was not of this world as well as He taught men to give tribute to Caesar - "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." (Matt 22:21 (NIV)). Yet they continued to rush madly on the path they had chosen and crucified our Lord. Eventually, their feigned fears came to pass, the Roman army did come and destroy Jerusalem burning the temple and carrying the whole nation into captivity.
“Only two things have ever changed the human soul: the fall and grace, the power of Satan and the power of God. And God is infinitely more powerful. Nothing is stronger than grace. Satan doesn’t have any. God is defined by it.” Larry Crabb