Subtext — the beating heart

Jo Penn November 20, 2024 2 1

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Acts 16:14 (NRSVA)

14 A certain woman named Lydia, a worshipper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul.

There are a number of verses in the Bible which speak of the heart and how its state tells of the person’s relationship with God:

‘People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’ 1 Samuel 16:7 — when Samuel was discerning which son of Jesse had been chosen by God for a particular role.

David, speaks of the heart, when he is confronted about his wrongdoing by Nathan the prophet: ‘Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.’ Psalm 51:10

The disciples at Emmaus after meeting Jesus in the breaking of bread, explain — “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:32

The Bible also talks about the act of God putting a new spirit in people, changing a heart of stone to a heart of flesh — Ezekiel 36:26.

The heart is the centre of a person’s being, the beating heart, and is prompted by the Holy Spirit to respond to the words of God. 

Lydia was there as a seeker with the Jewish women, for some reason dissatisfied with the religion of her home region. In the Jerusalem Temple there was the court of the Gentiles, as a symbol of tolerance and openness, so there must have been some provision for non-Jews in the prayer setting by the riverside. Paul comes along with his views as expressed in Romans:

‘For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”‘ Romans 10:12.

How marvellous would it have been to hear this view spoken by Paul to the gathered group of women?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus,

Create in me a clean heart.

May my prayers be heartfelt, responding to the Holy Spirit at work in me.

May my heart be filled with compassion as I view the world around me.

May my heart be soft enough to actively encourage and build others up.

Amen