Monday, February 3, 2025
Softening Hearts
“He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.” (1 Corinthians 15:4-7 NLT)
The New Testament book of James was written by someone very close to Jesus: His half-brother. Jesus was the Son of God the Father and Mary, who conceived supernaturally. James was the son of Joseph and Mary. Jesus and James had the same mother, and they were raised by the same man.
The Bible tells us very little about the first thirty years of Jesus’ life. We know that when he was twelve, He amazed the teachers in the Jerusalem temple with His understanding of Scripture (see Luke 2:41-52). Aside from that, we have no information about what He was like as a boy. Or as an older brother to James and His other half siblings.
We know that Jesus lived a sinless life. That means He never lied. He never stole anything. He never lost His temper. He never rebelled or talked back, and He always did His chores.
But did that register with James as a boy? Did he know the story of Jesus’ birth? Did he have the slightest inkling that his brother was the long-awaited Messiah? There’s no indication of it.
And what about later, as an adult? If he didn’t witness any of Jesus’ miracles personally, he certainly knew about them. According to John 7:3-4, “Jesus’ brothers said to him, ‘Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!’” (NLT).
That may seem like a statement of encouragement and faith. But verse 5 says, “For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.” James was aware of Jesus’ miracles, not to mention His teachings and His claims to be the Messiah, the Savior, the Son of God. Yet James refused to believe. He hardened his heart against the truth for as long as he could.
It was Jesus’ disciple Thomas who said, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side” (John 20:25 NLT). But that seems to have been James’ attitude, too. So, as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15, Jesus appeared to His brother after His resurrection. He didn’t punish James for his years of unbelief. He gave him the evidence he needed to believe.
After decades of a hard-hearted refusal to believe, James’ heart softened. He finally recognized Jesus for who He is. He embraced the truth of Christ.
Hard-heartedness is a tough condition to overcome, but it’s not impossible. If you encounter someone who stubbornly refuses to accept the truth of the gospel, don’t give up. Keep praying and sharing your faith. You never know where the tipping point is.
The hardest people to reach are the ones closest to you—your spouse, your parents, your kids, your siblings, your oldest friends. If you try to tell them how Christ has changed your life, they get suspicious because they know you too well. But don’t get discouraged. You don’t know the work God is doing to soften their hearts and make them more receptive to the gospel.
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