Some People Just Won't Listen

Jesus once told us not to cast our pearls before swine.

As always He practiced what He preached. At His "trial" before the chief priests and leaders they questioned Him about being the Christ. His response is telling.

Luke 22:67–68 (ESV) “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, 68 and if I ask you, you will not answer.

In other words, it does no good to give you truth when you will not receive it. 

I think of how often we Christians get into arguments with people who have no open heart to receive the Word of God. They harass us with endless arguments and speculations. Yet by some weird sense of duty we bear through intolerable conversations with those who are hostile to the Lord! Why? Jesus didn't! Neither should we.

Don't get me wrong, we should share our faith with as many as possible. But there are those who are hostile to Christ and we know it. They simply want to argue. They simply want to trap us in some kind of way about what we believe. Learn the lesson from the Lord's lips and the Lord's own actions. Don't bother. Move on. 

Remember that Jesus once said for us to leave town when people don't receive the Word. Paul left a few towns because they would not listen. He even left his own nation to go to the receptive gentiles! 

God doesn't want us wasting our efforts on people hostile to the message of reconciliation when there are plenty who are open to the message of Christ. He once told us to lift up our eyes to look at the fields white unto harvest. Are your eyes open? Or are they squinting through another debate over evolution, gay marriage, or abortion? 

Be a witness to them and leave them in the hand of God. They may come around eventually, but perhaps not now, not through you. In fact, even the priests that condemned Jesus came around at the preaching of Peter in Acts 2 and the Apostles later on (see Acts 6:7). 

We have a precious message.  Do your best to live at peace with all but at the same time remember there are going to be a great many who disregard this wonderful opportunity of grace. 

Follow the example of Jesus. He went to those in crisis, to the outcasts and outsiders. He loved the ones the establishment wouldn't. 

Cooperate with the Father and the Holy Spirit on those the Lord is drawing to Himself. This precious message deserves special handling.

PRAYER:
Father, I pray for eyes to see what You are doing and who You are calling to Yourself. Help me to partner with You in the great mission of the Kingdom. Keep your servant from fruitless efforts and give me great success at sharing Christ with those who are open!