Gentiles Will Hear the Good News

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Isiah in the Temple

Acts 28:23-28 The Message

23 They agreed on a time. When the day arrived, they came back to his home with a number of their friends. Paul talked to them all day, from morning to evening, explaining everything involved in the kingdom of God, and trying to persuade them all about Jesus by pointing out what Moses and the prophets had written about him.
24-27 Some of them were persuaded by what he said, but others refused to believe a word of it. When the unbelievers got cantankerous and started bickering with each other, Paul interrupted: “I have just one more thing to say to you. The Holy Spirit sure knew what he was talking about when he addressed our ancestors through Isaiah the prophet:
Go to this people and tell them this:
“You’re going to listen with your ears,
    but you won’t hear a word;
You’re going to stare with your eyes,
    but you won’t see a thing.
These people are blockheads!
They stick their fingers in their ears
    so they won’t have to listen;
They screw their eyes shut
    so they won’t have to look,
    so they won’t have to deal with me face-to-face
    and let me heal them.”
28 “You’ve had your chance. The non-Jewish outsiders are next on the list. And believe me, they’re going to receive it with open arms!”

For Reflection

The Jews who rejected the meaning of the resurrection of Christ were spiritually blinded by their adherence to their religion. For whatever reason, they could not accept the change in their faith that Christ represented.

As it was then it is now.  Many Christians are spiritually blinded by adherence to an inauthentic version of Christianity.  When is it OK for a Christian to advocate a violent act in the name of Christ?  When is it OK for a Christian to advocate retribution?  When is it Ok for a Christian to neglect the needs of the poor?  When is it OK for a Christian to violate God's presumptions, of truthfulness, mercy, forgiveness, justice, humility and the common good?

Pray

Pray, "lead me not into temptation."  Pray that all Christians will reject the subtle seduction of power to justify perversions of an authentic Christian Faith.  Pray that the prophets of our time will open our eyes to the truth of our Christian practices.