Acts 28:27

For the heart of this people is waxed grosse, and their eares are dull of hearing, and their eyes haue they closed, lest they should with their eyes, and heare with their eares, and vnderstand with their heart, and should bee conuerted, and I should heale them. Acts 28:27 (KJV)

This verse is part of a speech given by the Apostle Paul when he was under house arrest in Rome. He had been brought before the Jewish leaders to explain his beliefs, and he used the opportunity to share the message of Jesus Christ with them. In this particular verse, Paul is quoting from the prophet Isaiah, specifically Isaiah 6:9‑10. Let’s break down the verse and explore its meaning:

“For the heart of this people is waxed gross”: This phrase means that the people’s hearts had become hardened or calloused. They were spiritually dull and unresponsive to the message of God.

“And their ears are dull of hearing”: This indicates that their ears were not attentive to the words of truth. They were not open to receiving and understanding the message of salvation.

“And their eyes have they closed”: This implies that the people intentionally closed their eyes to the truth. They willfully chose not to see or acknowledge the signs and wonders that God had performed.

“Lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them”: This part reveals the reason behind their spiritual blindness and deafness. The people’s resistance to seeing, hearing, and understanding was a deliberate choice on their part.

The overall message of this verse is that the Jewish leaders addressed by Paul had closed themselves off from receiving the truth of the gospel. Despite witnessing miracles and hearing the message of salvation, they chose to remain spiritually blind and deaf. Their hardness of heart and resistance to God’s message resulted in a missed opportunity for them to be converted and experience God’s healing and salvation.

This verse serves as a reminder for us to have open hearts and ears, to be attentive to God’s Word, and to respond in faith to the message of salvation. It also highlights the importance of not hardening our hearts against God’s promptings and the truth revealed to us.