The Heart of Christ
“And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, and He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make a decision by what His ears hear…” Isaiah 11:3
This prophecy of our Lord depicts the character of his heart. A heart that totally loved God and with that love cared for those who around him and who came to him for help. Christ looked at others through the lens of his heart; he saw the needs of others.
The religious leaders of that day judged others by what they saw and what they heard. Their delight was in their position and in what the people could do for them.
I wonder… as I search my own heart and my own actions… do I judge as the religious leaders of old? When someone is cranky, angry, and resentful do I see their hurt? Or, do I write them off?
Can I see beyond the antiseptic make-up of this world and see the heart? Am I so caught up in learning that I’ve stopped doing?
Tough questions, but the Gospel is tough on religious folks. For religion will not change a person’s heart, it will only change the outside. And it is the outside that is most important to those who are religious.
Yet, don’t we look for more? Even if that more comes without a place of honor but most often comes with dishonor? For seeing with the heart will not lead to honor or praise. Seeing and hearing from the heart has a price and it’s not fame and it’s not fortune; it gives.
Christ’s heart gives and takes abuse, shares and offers more, believes with a heart of faith, trusts in the ever awareness of God.
Compare His heart to yours. Are you lacking? And can we change… and do we want to?
This prophecy of our Lord depicts the character of his heart. A heart that totally loved God and with that love cared for those who around him and who came to him for help. Christ looked at others through the lens of his heart; he saw the needs of others.
The religious leaders of that day judged others by what they saw and what they heard. Their delight was in their position and in what the people could do for them.
I wonder… as I search my own heart and my own actions… do I judge as the religious leaders of old? When someone is cranky, angry, and resentful do I see their hurt? Or, do I write them off?
Can I see beyond the antiseptic make-up of this world and see the heart? Am I so caught up in learning that I’ve stopped doing?
Tough questions, but the Gospel is tough on religious folks. For religion will not change a person’s heart, it will only change the outside. And it is the outside that is most important to those who are religious.
Yet, don’t we look for more? Even if that more comes without a place of honor but most often comes with dishonor? For seeing with the heart will not lead to honor or praise. Seeing and hearing from the heart has a price and it’s not fame and it’s not fortune; it gives.
Christ’s heart gives and takes abuse, shares and offers more, believes with a heart of faith, trusts in the ever awareness of God.
Compare His heart to yours. Are you lacking? And can we change… and do we want to?
posted by Michael Byrd at 9:26 PM
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