After all that Jesus has done and said, there are still many unbelievers. Wisdom doesn’t convince them, and neither do wonders. Stubbornness and pride are ingrained human traits, but in this case their unbelief seems not only illogical but downright unbelievable. We shouldn’t be surprised, though. Many of the prophets ran into the same problem; I guess people don’t change, regardless of their era and their culture. Isaiah experienced it and predicted even more.
When Isaiah wrote, “He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts,” we don’t understand that to mean God has done so against their will. No, these people were making their own choices. The “blinding” has taken place by a marvelously clear presentation of the truth. The more He shows, the less they see. The same was true with the children of Israel during the wilderness wanderings. The evidences of God were abundant and clear, and the farther they travelled, the further they drifted from God.
Verse 42 shows that God wasn’t forcing people’s blindness. Anyone who chose to see was able to see, and anyone who chose to be blind was hardened by greater revelations of God.
Jesus continued to teach: “God and I are the same person. We’re a package deal. Whoever aligns with me also aligns with God. When you see me, you see Him. I bring light, but you have to open your eyes to see it. For anyone who refuses, there is no hope.”