“And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.”
Ezekiel 11:19-20 (ESV)
Imagine, standing at that foot of the cross of Christ. To a Roman centurion, that would have just been one more crucifixion.
Having a hard heart would be one way to maintain your sanity. The cruelty of these acts can either numb you to suffering or deepen your own brutal nature.
But the power of God’s grace can overcome people’s stony hearts. God’s power to win the heart and make it soft is beyond words. Human beings can’t understand how or why God even would want to help us.
“…a new Spirit”
So, just like Roman soldiers those centuries ago, lost sinners still make a choice. They either harden their hearts like a stone and are lost, or they become lost in God’s love. That’s when they find a new heart of flesh.
The spirit of every believer soars with hope and peace and victory.
And this, according to the Gospel, is what happened not only to the Centurion, but to others working with him at their unthinkable task.
These brutal, pagan men, whom Jesus loved while He suffered and died, would finally see.
When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
Matthew 27:54
Imagine, Judas. He has walked with Jesus in His ministry on earth and saw Christ’s tenderness for the hurting and broken.
Judas watched as Jesus healed, delivered and raised people from the dead.
Judas heard the message of God’s love. He heard Jesus’ promises and saw them work in the practical days of life.
Judas saw true forgiveness for abuses and every deplorable sin. And he saw God’s unequivocal, holy wrath for sin that separates people from God.
“ambition, pride, betrayal”
Judas stole from the disciples and Jesus. He fostered the greedy intentions of his heart.
His pride and disbelief created his heart of stone.
There was every reason to believe. But the greed and arrogance of Judas left him with blind spiritual eyes.
Deceit and pride turned his heart into deep, dark granite. There was no room left for the Messiah.
Jesus would have forgiven it all if Judas had surrendered.
But he didn’t.
Judas let Jesus wash his dirty, sinful feet. But it didn’t mean anything.
The beautiful Savior knelt before the sin-filled traitor.
Jesus, the servant king, touched Judas’ filth with His sinless hands.
I imagine Judas could not meet the gaze that looked straight into his soul.
washed with spotless hands of mercy
And Judas left the upper room.
His heart was filled with Satan.
Judas met with the treacherous Pharisees, took payment that he would never spend, betrayed his Friend with a kiss and then took his own life.
All of that instead of accepting the soft heart of flesh that Jesus offered.
But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord God.”
Ezekiel 11:21 (ESV)
Judas.
Cold, barren, granite.
Imagine. You are living after Christ left the earth long ago. You haven’t had the opportunity to see what He could do in person. But you have seen how the Spirit lives in believing hearts.
… blessed are those who have not seen and believe.
John 20:29 (CSB)
Some, even now, are willing to die or be unjustly treated to bring His Good News to the lost.
Jesus sent His Holy Spirit to live among mankind by entering the hearts and minds of anyone who accepts this gift of grace.
The evidence for believing is everywhere.
Only pride and selfish sin stands in the way of the stubborn heart that won’t be made soft by the Savior.
Where do you stand?
Every heart has a choice— a heart of stone or a heart of life.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Getting the Seed out of the basket and into hungry hearts. Matthew 13 