HARDEN NOT YOUR HEARTS
JEREMIAH 7:23–28; PSALM 95; LUKE 11:14–23
The biblical phrase “Harden not your heart” is a timeless admonition against stubbornness and resistance to change. It reminds us to remain open and receptive to God’s guidance, wisdom, and promptings. It also calls us to repentance and transformation, genuine remorse, and confession.
Jeremiah describes a people that disobeyed God’s commands, saying, “Here is the nation that will not listen to the voice of the Lord its God nor take correction” (Jer 7:28). They obeyed the desires of their own sinful hearts and rejected God’s love. Don’t be heartless or hardhearted. Cultivate openness, humility, and spiritual receptivity.
Similarly, today’s psalm picks up the same theme, saying, “O that today you would listen to his voice! ‘Harden not your hearts’” (Ps.95:7). The psalmist equally says, ‘A broken heart, O Lord, you will not reject.’ Beloved, it’s not enough to fast, pray, and give alms; are we ready to listen to his voice of correction? Are we willing to pull down our pride?
Lastly, in the gospel, Jesus says, “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters” (Luke 11:23). Being with Jesus entails living an obedient life to God’s word. We cannot claim to be with Jesus yet disobey his commands.
LET US PRAY
We implore your majesty most humbly, O Lord, that, as the feast of our salvation draws ever closer, we may press forward all the more eagerly towards the worthy celebration of Easter. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Fr. Daniel Evbotokhai
