Isaiah 6:8-10 (NIV)

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? ”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
9 He said, “Go and tell this people:
“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
10 Make the heart of this people calloused;
make their ears dull and close their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Reflection:

What kind of calling is this? To go and preach to those who won’t listen? The declaration of verses 9-10 on first reading feels harsh, as though a willing and soft-hearted people were turning into a hardened people. But that is not the case; rather, it is a declaration of what has been the spiritual state of Israel throughout — they have been an unwilling and obstinate people. We actually see in His sending Isaiah out to preach to such people, that God is one who persists in pursuing a hardened people. So why go and preach to hard-hearted people? Because the Lord says so. The extent of God’s love is revealed in this, that God would love and pursue those who are not receptive, who neither desire nor listen to Him.

Responding to the Transmission:

At one time, were we not also hard? We didn’t seek the Lord, we didn’t desire Him, and we were unwilling to listen. But in His unrelenting kindness and mercy, God drew us to Himself. Let’s reflect with thankfulness on the kindness and mercy of our God, who would pursue hard-hearted people such as us. And in the ways God calls us to go and preach, may we do so with God’s heart. May there be a shift in the way we view hardened acquaintances, co-workers, and friends – as we receive the Lord’s heart of compassion for them.