59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
It is certainly clear in our verse for today that Jesus’ hearers understood full well His claim of Deity in the preceding verse by the anger they demonstrated in their attempt to stone Him. Habitual prejudice against our Lord had left His hearers with deaf ears and hardened hearts to any conviction of spirit by the Truth. While indeed the punishment for blasphemy was stoning, it was only after one had been legally tried and convicted. In their anger, these Jews pretended to carry out the law all the while leaning into their own bias and pleasure – farewell justice and order albeit cloaked in the flowing robes of righteousness! This is certainly a lesson for us as well. How often have we hardened our hearts to Truth in lieu of embracing our own biases and pleasures? Casting stones, if you will, on anyone that would point to our folly. The command given in Scripture is quite the contrary. The writer of Hebrews tells us:
7 So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, Heb 3:7-8 (NIV)
12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. Heb 3:12-13 (NIV)
We are to guard our hearts with all diligence from sin and unbelief which turn us away from the living God. It should be noted as well that we are to remain in community – not isolated without accountability – encouraging and strengthening – as well as listening to - one another- to prevent the hardening of the deceitfulness of sin. We are to weigh everything against the Truth of God’s Word, disciplining our emotions, so as not to be found wanting. If we are treading perilously close to the ledge does it not remain in our best interest to know Truth even if it wounds? We can so easily dupe ourselves and convince ourselves of our own righteousness. We become proficient in getting confirmation from those in whom we are fully assured will tell us what our itching ears want to hear. Scripture tells us:
9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." Jer 17:9-10 (NIV)
Yet all the while God states:
23 but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you. 24 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. Jer 7:23-24 (NIV)
“Don’t slack off seeking, striving, and praying for the very same things that we exhort unconverted people to strive for, and a degree of which you have had in conversion. Thus pray that your eyes may be opened, that you may receive sight, that you may know your self and be brought to God’s feet, and that you may see the glory of God and Christ, may be raised from the dead, and have the love of Christ shed abroad in your heart. Those that have most of these things still need to pray for them; for there so much blindness and hardness and pride and death remaining that they still need to have that work of God upon them, further to enlighten and enliven them. This will be a further bringing out of darkness into God’s marvelous light, and a kind of new conversion...” Jonathan Edwards, Advice to Young Converts.
Lastly, we again see through the hand of Satan, false professors and the ungodly world all unanimous in their opposition to our Lord. In their rage and fury they hurriedly pick up stones in an apparent tumultuous and disorderly fashion – both sudden and unauthorized – to cast at Jesus. Yet His “time had not yet come” and He merely walks away slipping into the crowds. Certainly not a cowardly move as He maintained perfect power over his enemies rather displaying His meekness - absolute power under control. Knowing full well it was not His time He slipped away undiscovered. They could do no more against Him than He gave them permission to do. Brings to light the cross does it not? There Jesus willingly gave all for me and for you. He was not forced, rather He was willing.
“Amazing love! How can it be that thou my God, shouldst die for me?” Charles Wesley