Please carefully read through the following six portions of Scripture, and you will see why I entitled this article ‘Slow of Heart’. Even Jesus’ family thought He was out of His mind. He told His own disciples that He was going to be killed in Jerusalem and rise on the third day, but they did not grasp or believe it:
Then He went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when His family heard it, they went out to seize Him, for they were saying, “He is out of His mind.” (Mark 3:20-21 ESV)
Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. So his brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” For not even his brothers believed in Him. (John 7:2-5 ESV)
From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a hindrance to Me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Matthew 16:21-23 ESV)
That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But we had hoped that He was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. And He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:14-15, 21, 25-26 ESV)
Then they told what had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of the bread. As they were talking about these things, Jesus Himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I myself. Touch Me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” (Luke 24:35-39 ESV)
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that He will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:12-15 ESV)
There is no excuse for being ‘Slow of Heart’ in the Holy Spirit age we are living in. In the last portion of Scripture above, Jesus makes it clear that the Holy Spirit will guide us in all truth. Notice what took place just before the Holy Spirit was given on the Day of Pentecost:
And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:24-26 ESV)
After the Day of Pentecost, you never see lots cast again. True Christians were given Holy Spirit discernment. We are never to engage in what I call ‘Las Vegas’ style antics. The Book of Acts from chapter 2 on gives example after example of how the Holy Spirit communicates. Peter summed it up on how it would be involving dreams, visions, signs, wonders, miracles and healings:
For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams…..” (Acts 2:15-17 ESV)
Annointing 