Circumcision of the Unnecessary

UV 625/10,000 The Circumcision of the Unnecessary “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh.” Jeremiah 9 v 25 Circumcision was a Hebrew practice to cut away unnecessary skin. It is a metaphor to show that we need to cut off or incise and remove what is unnecessary in our lives. The Lord desires not a physical circumcision as people of some faiths practice to this day but circumcision of the heart: the ‘surgical’ removal of unnecessary emotions associated with fear, hatred, lust, jealousy, unforgiveness, pride, covetousness, self righteousness and so on. It is a parting with clinical precision from those things that hinder our faith and obstruct our spiritual growth to maturity. This is what is implied in Jesus teaching us that it is better to loose an eye or a limb or any organ that causes us to sin rather than loose our whole souls. The negative emotions that rage in the human heart keep us from experiencing closeness or oneness with God. We need a daily circumcision of our hearts and minds. We need to daily place on the sacred altar of fire that burns deep inside our souls the negative factors that hold us back in our relationship with our beloved Creator- Saviour. Circumcision of the heart implies disciplining our bodies and discipling our souls to obey the Lord and His Word. It means exercising kindness, justice and righteousness in which the Lord delights. The apostle Paul wrote in the book of Romans that the true Jew is the one who experiences circumcision in heart and spirit. Circumcision of the heart is allowing the sword of the Word to cut out all the things that displease the Lord from our lives. Circumcision of the spirit is listening to the move of the Holy Spirit to die to those things that displease the Lord and live to those that please Him. It is not done under anaesthesia and hence, the process of discipling in this manner means that we need to go through a time of pain. Such pain is often a great educator of our souls and spirits. We do not undergo it under compulsion that we go through it crying and squealing but we submit to the disciplining willingly. Prateep V Philip