Open Eyes and Circumcised Hearts

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

OPEN EYES AND CIRCUMCISED HEARTS

Acts 7:51-56

51 "You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it." 54 When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."

NIV

Here is the charge Stephen made against the whole of the Sanhedrin. He told them they were stiff-necked people. It is interesting that Moses called the children of Israel sniffed-necked people when he was talking to God. We cannot be sure as the narrative does not clearly indicate the members of the Sanhedrin already making a fuss in the midst of Stephen’s response to the question. Were they already trying to interrupt him, sensing where he was going, that he was comparing them to what Moses said about the people of Israel, and this is why Stephen then called them stiff-necked? Or was it just part of his response, what he had been building up to, because of their actions in the past, having determined that Jesus was worthy of death and convinced the Romans to kill him? Either way the concept of this phrase, “Stiffed-necked” comes from an ox that refuses to be yoked, not willing to bow his head for the yoke. Considering that Jesus told us to take his yoke upon us,

Matt 11:28-30

28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." 

NIV

They were not going to yield, they were not going to bow to Jesus, they killed him instead, having stiff necks, and uncircumcised hearts and ears. It is interesting that later Paul, who according to the first verse in chapter eight was there at the stoning of Stephen, made that statement about a Jew is not one who only is circumcised outwardly, but true Israel, a true Jew is one who is circumcised of the heart. Stephen accused them of resisting the Holy Spirit, and finally, he accused them of killing Jesus. They knew full well, that what Stephen said was the truth, but like all people who resist the Holy Spirit, the truth is also rejected. We know that God desires to bring about change in us. We are in a constant flow of changing as we reflect his likeness in ever-increasing glory. We know that all scripture is profitable for teaching, rebuking, and correcting us, along with training us in righteousness. They refused all of that, even though they were formally schooled in the scriptures. Again, we take our lead from Stephen in this case, we should be filled with the Spirit and because we are, we should be able to look up to heaven and see, perhaps not with physical eyes, but with spiritual eyes, heaven opened to us, and see Jesus standing at the right hand of God. When we have the fullest of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, our eyes are opened and we can see the truth, the way, and the life, which is Jesus, and it is Jesus who circumcises our heart.