“And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: ’The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet ‘Go to this people, and say, ‘You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.’ For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ 

 Therefore, let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.’“

Acts 28:25-28 (ESV) 

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JULY 2, 2025

As we reflect this week on the warning and wakeup call Paul delivered in Rome, I was struck by the slight change in language when he describes their eyes. Our passage says that they closed their eyes. They closed their eyes. No one else did it.  

My daughter and I share a habit: when we are watching a movie or show, if an embarrassing social situation appears on screen we can’t help but cover our eyes with our hands, even if no one else is in the room! That seems typical for a 9-year-old, but definitely odd for my age! Still, every time I watch something socially embarrassing like a breakup or someone making fun of someone else, my hands automatically cover my whole face; I can’t do anything to stop them.  

Sometimes we don’t want to hear the truth, especially hard truth, so we choose to close our eyes. The truth can sometimes challenge us in a way we don’t want to receive. We don’t even like it if someone suggests we are wrong, or points out a flaw in our work, parenting, marriage, or spending habits.  

I know a few people who were sexually abused as children; when they confronted the person who had abused them, the spouse of that person wasn’t able to handle the truth. It was as though they had a physical and psychological reaction where the brain was unable to process this knowledge and so rejected it outright. They buried it deep, deep, deep inside and pretended it never happened. They closed their eyes, because to admit the truth would mean everything unravels and falls apart. 

There is no way for us to begin to heal unless we are willing for the Holy Spirit to unravel us to our core. We cannot live as followers of Christ with our eyes closed. 

 Questions for reflection and discussion:  

  • Has there been a time in your life when you closed your eyes to the Holy Spirit convicting you of something through God’s Word?  
  • How have you seen churches closing their eyes to God’s truth, in both conservative and progressive groups?  
  • Why do you think we close our eyes?  

 Church Reading Plan: Joshua 4; Psalm 129-131