The fifth verse of the passage describes man’s heart; that is, man’s heart is filled with sin and death, full of pride, crooked, and rough. Last week’s message taught of man’s sinful heart and separation from God (i.e. ravine) along with man’s pride and turning to idols (i.e. mountain and hill). This week’s part 2 of the series will tackle how man’s heart is crooked and a rough road.
The crooked heart is related to deviation, twisting and manipulation (Romans 1:21-23). In essence, man’s sinful heart distorts the truth of God’s Word. Before sin entered the world, God created all things, including man, without sin; thus, was straight. When Adam and Even disobeyed God’s Word, sin and death entered the world, and man’s heart became crooked. The crooked heart is unable to see Jesus for who He truly is (Mark 6:3-5); therefore, they do not believe in Him. When the truth of God’s Word is not taken straightforwardly, they cannot repent and see the salvation of God. Even though the gospel of Christ is clear as day, the self-deceiving heart does not allow an unrepentant heart to see or hear clearly the gospel. But Scripture gives good news as the crooked will become straight.
The crooked are only able to become straight through God’s divine gift of repentance. God alone is able to grant repentance that leads to life (Acts 11:18). We see this effectual grace taking place in the life of Paul as his crooked heart is made straight and remaining at a street named Straight when meeting Ananias (Acts 9:5, 11). The way of salvation through Jesus is straight and narrow (Matthew 7:13-14).
Moreover, man’s heart is also like a rough road; a hardened heart. This rough road also symbolizes man’s idolatry (Jeremiah 2:25). An idolatrous and stubborn heart is unable and unwilling to receive the gospel of Christ (Romans 2:5). However, again, only repentance granted by God is able to soften the hard and rough heart of sinful man. For by God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8) can a man be saved for it is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). Pharaoh’s heart, before letting the Jews free, exemplifies the hardness of man’s sinful heart, and that only by the supernatural work of God is able to change the heart to repent and believe. In other words, the rough heart becomes smooth. This illustrates the grace of God that makes the sinner righteous through Christ. As David defeated Goliath with one smooth rock, it is by repenting of our unbelief once by God’s grace are we saved.
In verse 6, Luke mentions all flesh will see the salvation of God. All flesh meaning any man that repents and believes in Jesus Christ for their salvation. The word “see” in this verse is key to understand the repentant heart. This seeing signifies God at work who opens eyes to recognize Jesus Christ, which leads to repentance and faith in Him. It is not enough to be saved by merely recognizing who Jesus is, as the demons also knew who He was, but our response before the Jesus who is alive. The proper response, again, is repentance for the forgiveness of sins and receiving of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
Therefore, those that see Jesus Christ continually devote themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer (Acts 2:42). Christians understand without devoting to the aforementioned things, we are unable to see Christ, so we practice daily the joy of being with our Lord as He allowed us to repent and see the salvation of God.
BIBLE COMMUNITY CHURCH 
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