“This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes – so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to Me and let Me heal them.’” (Matthew 13:14-15 NLT)
In the verses above Jesus is quoting the words of Isaiah to His disciples when they asked Him why He used parables. To me they are among the most frightening words in all the Bible. Think of those in your family or close friends who haven’t opened their heart and mind to Jesus. Try as you may to help them understand, it’s as though their minds are numb to the Truth.
You know what? It’s because they are. It’s called “stupidity.” To be stupid means “to be dull of mind.” Like ignorance, it’s a condition that, at least in a spiritual sense, we choose to have. An older man was wearing a t-shirt the other day that said: “Life is hard. It’s even harder if you’re stupid.” I laughed, mostly because it reminded me of the things I’ve done in my life when I allowed my mind and heart to be dulled to the voice of God. It’s easier for me to laugh than cry.
Think back over the times when you’ve been stupid; when you’ve done, said, or thought things that you knew in your heart weren’t right and would lead to sin, but you wouldn’t be deterred. Years don’t dull the pain of our stupidity, in some ways, the years magnify its heartache.
It may not always be the case, but for me stupidity was a process. As a rule, we don’t just wake up one day and decide: “I think I’m going to ruin my marriage today.” Or we don’t have a sudden insight that says: “It just seems right to rob that bank.” Or, like Adam and Eve in the garden, we hear a voice that says: “Did God really say we shouldn’t _________?” and you can fill in the blank.
Satan is subtle, but persistent. Like a patient farmer, Satan will plant the proverbial seed that initially may not take root, but he continues to “water” the lie he’s planted until one day we think, do, say, or act in a way we never dared dream we would. Most people in prison didn’t see “prison” as their desired outcome. They just started hanging with the wrong people and in order to fit in, they began to do, say, think, and act like those around them.
Many today think religion is the answer to their deepest longings and desires. They find a group of people who look and act nice, so they begin to spend time with them. They take them to church, and they learn to sing songs and listen to people talk about God and Jesus. They hear speeches about God and Jesus that cause them to feel funny, so one day they raise their hand or walk to the front to “accept Jesus.”
It makes them feel really good for a while, but over time the feelings wear off and they find their life isn’t really any different than it was before. So, little by little they sink back into the same hole their life was in before. But why? Largely because the dullness of their heart and mind was never addressed, only the surface feelings that we have when we want a change in our lives.
The only cure for stupidity is salvation in Christ alone by faith alone. Saying a prayer filled with good intentions doesn’t change anything but our emotions. We don’t need to feel better, we need to die to ourselves and let the Lord give us a new life that can’t be counterfeited by religious behavior. Only becoming a slave of Christ, realizing our lives are not our own, but belong to Him to do with us as He sees fit, will give us the outcome that will satisfy our heart and mind long term.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 