Sacred Heart,
also called Sacred Heart of Jesus,
in Roman Catholicism, the
mystical-physical heart of Jesus as an object of devotion.
In addition to a feast,
now celebrated on the Friday of the third week after Pentecost,
devotion includes acts of consecration and honour
given to the image of the Sacred Heart.
“circumcision of the heart”
is found in Romans 2:29.
It refers to having a
pure heart, separated unto God.
Paul writes,
"A Jew is one inwardly,
and circumcision is a matter of
the heart, by the Spirit,
not by the letter.”
These words conclude a sometimes confusing passage of Scripture
regarding circumcision and the Christian. Verses 25-29 provide context:
“For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law,
but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision.
So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law,
will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?
Then he who is physically uncircumcised
but keeps the law will condemn you
who have the written code and circumcision
but break the law.
For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly,
nor is circumcision outward and physical.
But a Jew is one
inwardly,
and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.
His praise is not from man
but from God.”
Paul is discussing the role of the Old Testament Law as it relates to Christianity.
He argues that Jewish circumcision is
only an outward sign of being
set apart to God.
However, if the heart is sinful,
then physical circumcision is of no avail.
A circumcised body and a sinful heart are at
odds with each other.
Rather than focus on external rites,
Paul focuses on the condition
of the heart.
Using circumcision as a metaphor, he says that only
the
Holy Spirit
can
purify a heart and set us apart to God.
Ultimately, circumcision cannot make a person right with God;
the Law is not enough.
A person’s heart must change.
Paul calls this change “circumcision of the
heart.”
This concept was not original with the apostle Paul.
As a Jew trained in the Law of Moses, he was certainly
aware of this discussion from Deuteronomy 30.
There, the Lord used the same metaphor to communicate
His desire for a holy people:
"And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart
and the heart of your offspring,
so that you will love the LORD your God with
all your heart and with all your soul,
that you may live”
(Deuteronomy 30:6)
Physical circumcision was a sign of Israel’s covenant with God;
circumcision of the heart,
therefore,
would indicate Israel’s being
set apart to
love God fully, inside and out.
John the Baptist
warned the Pharisees against taking pride
in their physical heritage and
boasting in their circumcision:
“Do not think you can say to yourselves,
'We have Abraham as our father.'
I tell you that out of these stones
God can raise up children for Abraham”
(Matthew 3:9).
True “children of Abraham” are those who follow
Abraham’s example of believing God
(Genesis 15:6).
Physical circumcision does not make one a child of God;
faith does.
Believers in Jesus Christ can truly say
they are children of “Father Abraham.”
'If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed,
and heirs according to the promise”
(Galatians 3:29).
God has always wanted more from His people than just
external conformity to a set of rules.
He has always wanted them to
possess a heart to love, know, and
follow Him.
That’s why God is not concerned with a circumcision
of the flesh.
Even in the Old Testament,
God’s priority
was a spiritual circumcision of the heart:
“Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you
men of Judah and people of Jerusalem,
or
my wrath will break out
and
burn like fire
because of the evil you have done”
(Jeremiah 4:4).
Both Testaments
focus on the need for repentance
and inward change
in order to be right with God.
In Jesus,
the Law has been fulfilled
(Matthew 5:17).
Through Him, a person can be made
right
with God and receive eternal life
(John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9).
As Paul said,
true
circumcision is a matter of
the heart,
performed by the
Spirit of God
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