Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Who Has Listened to His Message? - Feb 18 class

This week's song is a response to John 12:38-40: " . . . so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

'Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arms of the Lord been revealed?'

Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,

'He has blinded their eyes,
and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.'"

(ESV)

Famous words, but so sad. The "blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart" is always a difficult thing to deal with. But, I see it kind of this way: when people are doing wrong and are confronted by what is right, the human tendency is to justify themselves and reject the advice they are given. It's often been that way with my kids, sometimes just me being "for" some idea is enough that they will automatically be "against" it. Many times if they would take my advice, live would have gone much easier for them.

So the very nature of Jesus, the "rightness" of it was enough to make many of the people and Jewish leaders reject him, blinded and hardened by their desire to justify themselves.

Here are the lyrics for this week:

Who has listened to his message?
Who has seen his hand?
Who has turned to him for refuge
In this weary land?
From a world that is steeped in sin
He calls us out, he invites us in.
But who has listened to his message?
Who has seen his hand?

Blinded eyes that will not see,
Don't you want to be set free?
Troubled heart as hard as stone,
Open up, he calls you home.
Turn to him, release your soul
In his arms you'll be made whole but
Who has listened to his message?
Who has seen his hand?

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