The Thoughts of the Hearts of Many

Luke 2:25-35

The thing that jumps out about me is the part of the prophecy that says, "as a result of him [Jesus], the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed".

I look at it in a few ways.

Jesus, His teachings and His example, don't leave a lot of wiggle room.  He lays it out for us.  Are we going to love our neighbours?  Are we going to help the widows and the orphans?  Go the extra mile?  When faced with all of this, the thoughts of our hearts are exposed by our actions.

Thinking of repentance, the hearts of many have been poured out and set free from sin and shame and guilt.  These hearts have been made new with forgiveness and love and freedom.

On the flip side, the evil intentions of many have been laid bare, starting with the likes of Judas and the pharisees and the chief priests, etc.  How many have used the name of Jesus for their own gain?  How many for the oppression of others?

Jesus has the effect of bringing out what is truly inside us.  The thing is, whatever is found to be inside of us, He wants us to allow him to take our hearts of stone and replace them with hearts of flesh, filled with the things we are meant to be filled with.  We are equally capable of great good and great evil, and what is inside comes out eventually.  It is only in Him that what we are can become what we are meant to be.