This People's Heart Is Waxed Gross
In Matthew 13:13-15, Jesus informs us why He spoke to the multitudes in parables: "Because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, 'By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them'." Thus, we see, as it was in the days of Isaiah, so also it was in the times of Christ and we are persuaded that it is true today.
Some comments from eminent scholars may be helpful in understanding the condition of the people's heart in the days of Isaiah and Christ and thus, by analogy, we may learn why the people's heart of our own time has "waxed gross."
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown in the Commentary on the Whole Bible, commenting on the above passage said: "They 'saw,' for the light shone on them as never light shone before; but they 'saw not,' for they closed their eyes. They 'heard,' for He taught them who 'spake as never man spake'; but they 'heard not,' for they took nothing in, apprehending not the soul-penetrating, life-giving words addressed to them."
S. T. Bloomfield, in the Greek Testament with English Notes, Volume I, states: "....the hearts of the men were so hardened by a long course of willful and presumptuous sin, that, according to the regular operation of moral causes and effects, they, though seeing, in fact, did not see; and though hearing, yet, in fact, did not hear, nor hearken, and consequently could not understand."
J. W. McGarvey, in The New Testament Commentary, Volume I, said: "As Isaiah had written concerning his own generation (Isa. 6:9, 10), this people's heart had 'waxed gross;' that is, it has become filled with earthly and sensual desires, and especially so with reference to the expected kingdom of the Messiah. This state of heart made their ears dull of hearing; that is, it made them indisposed to hear with favor the words of Jesus. It led them also to close their eyes; that is, to refuse to see the evidences of his messiahship and his divinity."
H. Leo Boles, in A Commentary on the Gospel According to Matthew, said: "....their hearts had become fat, as applied to the body; sensual and stupid as applied to the mind; they were like a man overcome with obesity, too heavy and dull to hear or see, sleepy and brutish. The spiritual spark is buried in a heap of earthly cares and pleasures." (Dent. 32:15) He continues his comments on the passage by saying, "These people had hardened their own hearts, had closed their eyes, had refused to exercise their 'own powers of understanding, because they did not want to know the truth. The responsibility rested upon them for their present condition; they could not blame the law, God, or anyone else; they were wholly responsible, It is the law of God's spiritual kingdom that resistance to truth hardens the heart. To reject the truth and excuse and defend themselves in opposition to it, they armed themselves with countless errors and falsehoods." (Ibid.)
Dr. Bloomfield said: "....the Jews would hear indeed the doctrines of the Gospel, but not understand them; would see the miracles wrought in confirmation of its truth, but not be convinced thereby. Not that the evidences themselves were insufficient to establish its truth, but because their hearts were too corrupt to allow them to see the force of those evidences." (Ibid.)
Adam Clarke, in A Commentary and Critical Notes on the New Testament, Volume I, states: "....these words were fulfilled in the Jews, in the time of the Prophet Isaiah, so they are now again fulfilled in these their posterity, who exactly copy their fathers' example. These awful words may be again fulfilled in us, if we take not warning by the things which these disobedient people have suffered."
Hence, from the above comments we gather the following reasons why the people's heart had waxed gross:
1. They had continued a long course of willful and presumptuous sin.
2. Their hearts were filled with earthly cares and pleasures and sensual desires.
3. They were indisposed to hear with favor the words of Jesus.
4. Their hearts had become too corrupt to allow them to see the force of the evidences.
5. They did not want to know the truth, hence, they armed themselves with countless errors and falsehoods.
Now, since Isaiah described the awful condition of the people's heart in his day; Jesus applied the lesson to the people of His time who refused to accept His teaching; and Paul made a similar application to the people in Rome who refused to believe the evidences (Acts 28:25-27); let us apply this inspired teaching to the people of our times.
For Example:
1. Have not many people of our day continued a long course of willful and presumptuous sin?
2. Are not many people's heart filled with earthly cares and pleasures and sensual desires?
3. Does not the rejection of Christ's words show that many are indisposed to hear with favor the words of Jesus?
4. Have not the hearts of many become too corrupt to allow them to see the force of the evidence of truth?
5. Is it not true that people who do not love the truth