The words of Jesus embody hesed, fulfilling the ideals of the Law of Moses and the Prophets. (Matthew 5:17).

Indeed, the very life of Jesus embodies hesed, fulfilling the ideals of the Law of Moses and the Prophets. (Matthew 5:17).

The word hesed in Hebrew is translated a number of ways in English:

     —Faithfulness. (Psalm 117:2 NIV).

     —Love. (Psalm 136 NIV).

     —Mercy. (Psalm 136 KJV).

     —Steadfast love. (Psalm 136 ESV; Exodus 34:6-7).

     —Lovingkindness. (Psalm 136 NASB).

     —Kindness. (Micah 6:8).

Since no one English word captures the richness of the Hebrew word hesed, I will use the word hesed in this blog.

By the time of Jesus’s public ministry, why hadn’t these ideals of hesed already been fulfilled in people’s lives, communities of wisdom, families, businesses, nations, and civilizations?

After all, shouldn’t everyone welcome the Way of Hesed—the Way of Jesus—the Way of faithfulness, love, mercy, steadfast love, lovingkindness, and kindness?

Jesus explained this tragic failure of people to understand and follow the Way of Hesed by quoting this passage from Isaiah:

“You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

   you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

For this people’s heart has become calloused;

   they hardly hear with their ears,

   and they have closed their eyes.”

     (Isaiah 6:9-10, see Septuagint; Matthew 13:13-15).

To this very day, why do people fail to understand when they hear about the hesed of the LORD God that endures and blesses forever?

To this very day, why do people fail to perceive when they see the hesed of the LORD God that endures and blesses forever?

To this very day, why are people’s hearts calloused so they do not understand and perceive the hesed of the LORD that endures and blesses forever?

Jesus explained this tragedy in his Parable of the Sower. (Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20; Luke 8:1-15).

In some people, the words of hesed are like seeds cast on a path where birds eat them. The words don’t take root in the lives of these people.

In some people, the words of hesed are like seeds cast on rocky, shallow soil. The roots of hesed in the lives of these people are too frail and shallow to sustain the growth of hesed. They receive the words of hesed with joy, but they fall away when their lives are afflicted by troubles and persecutions.

In some people, the words of hesed are like seeds cast among thorns and weeds. As these people go on their way, the growth of their hesed is choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures so that they do not mature.

In contrast, in some people the words of hesed are like seeds cast on good soil. These people with good and noble hearts hear the words of hesed, retain them, and by persevering produce an abundant crop.

Fortunately, the words and life of Jesus embody hesed.

Fortunately, the good and noble heart of Jesus is persevering to produce an abundant crop of people who love the LORD their God—who love hesed—with all their hearts and with all their souls and with all their strength, fulfilling the ideals and words of the Law of Moses and the Prophets.

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For more of my thoughts about the hesed of the LORD God, please read my blogs “The Hesed of the LORD Endures Forever”, “Hesed Saves and Nurtures Baby Moses”, “Hesed Saves Israel—Passover”, “Hesed Nurtures Israel—From the Red Sea to Mount Sinai”, “Hesed Nurtures Israel—Mount Sinai”, “Hesed Establishes the Work of Moses’s Hands—Mount Nebo”, “Hesed Blesses Forever—David”, “Walking Humbly With Hesed—Micah”, “Hoping in Hesed—Jeremiah”, “Hesed Returns Israel to Jerusalem”, “Jesus Embodies Hesed—The Vision of Isaiah”, and “Jesus Embodies Hesed—Fulfilling the Law of Moses and the Prophets”.

For more of my thoughts about the Parable of the Sower, please read my blogs “Hardened Soil Along a Footpath”, “Shallow Soil In Rocky Places”, “Thorny Soil”, and “Good Soil Hears and Sees”; and the chapters “Despite His Family’s Wishes, Jesus Continues His Work” and “Jesus Tells the Parable of the Sower” in my book Hoping in the LORD, at pages 123-135.