what was Jesus thinking?

Question

what did Jesus mean when he used the term 'stiff necked people of little faith'? i am looking for an in depth answer.

Answer 1

The term stiff-necked was only used in the old tesament as a reference to being stubborn and disobedient. Moses used this term and not Jesus, although Jesus did speak at times about having "little faith." So, to answer your question, Jesus used the little faith term ,but not the stiff-necked one. Just for the record, He did use vipers and hypocrites to make His points!
Be blessed. Jesus is love.

Answer 2

He was talking about idiots like the first person who answered this question

Some believe we all developed from some primordial soup. Ha! That is just absurd. Why have we not been able to recreate life from NOTHING then. We cannot manage to build anything without first using something that previously existed. Where did a Hydrogen atom come from? If an atom is made of protons, neutrons, & electrons, where did these 3 things come from? What makes up a proton?

As far as the blood type argument (Rhesus factor)…

Creationists don’t all discount evolution, we just understand that human life did not begin that way. Maybe Adam and Eve did have the same blood type. They were kicked out of Eden and had started to eat Animal Flesh after that. Maybe Adams blood type evolved to make himself a hardier person to be able to farm the ground and hunt for food. (unless you don’t believe in Evolution…) So lets say that Adam mutated to an ‘A’ and Eve stayed as a ‘B’, their children could become any of (4) blood types…’A’, ‘B’, ‘AB’, & ‘O’. Once ‘O’ type was created, that opened the door to all the other varieties that came about.

Oh yeah, if anyone believes in the big bang, what started the big bang? Something had to put the events of the universe in motion. You cannot create something from nothing.

Gravitational Singularity

Based on Einstein's Theory of General Relativity, some believe that the Big Bang was produced by a gravitational singularity. Many physicists and astronomers believe that the universe is, and always has been, expanding. If this is true, then if we go back far enough in time, we eventually reach a time when the universe was infinitesimally small. When this size reaches zero, it is said to be a "gravitational singularity." According to this model, time began at the same "instant" that this singularity exploded in the Big Bang, so there was nothing "before" the Big Bang.

But where did this gravitational singularity come from? What caused time to begin?

Faith

Some say that there does not need to be a cause. We know it happened because we are here. But that answer is based on faith, not science.

The Big Bang is not science--it is an article of faith.

Answer 3

Stiff-necked is a common term, and apparently around for a long time! lol

To be stiff-necked is exactly what it sounds like. Picture someone with a stiff neck, perhaps in a neck brace, unable (okay, unwilling) to turn left or right without turning their entire body. They look neither left nor right and can only see what is in front of their face.

So, speaking in a sense of faith, Jesus is saying these people have no faith and are unwilling to change their ways, even though it means continual pain for them. They are pretty much hopeless.

Answer 4

The Bible often refers to people who resist indoctrination with terms like "hardened hearts" and "stiff neck". Religions, in general, don't look highly on those who think differently than them. Many people today, even, think that atheists are just rebelling or are being "led astray" by Satan or some nonsense. It's dangerous for a Christian or other believers to think that someone can come to different conclusions than them honestly. In order to justify it to themselves, they have to think there is something wrong with the other person, hence tems like "stiff necked".

Answer 5

Jesus was using a term he had read many times while studying the Torah. God called His people stiff-necked because they were so stubborn.

Answer 6

What is unclear about it that requires an in depth answer? Stiff necked means rigid or stubborn.

Answer 7

STIFF NECK SYNDROME
by Charlene Friesen

"Oh, my neck is killing me!" How many times have you rubbed your neck in frustration while sitting in traffic, trying to meet a work deadline or untangling your children from the latest wrestling match?

Believe it or not, that's a stiff neck that I can bear. Sore neck muscles are much easier to handle than a neck that is stiff from a stubborn, unrepentant heart. Stiff-necked folks are definitely their own breed; self righteous and self absorbed, they exude a "my way or the highway mentality." They are modern day Pharisees who follow the commandments at their convenience. Stiff-necked people remain sinfully steadfast despite repeated rebukes from God. They are aloof with His teachings and never learn from their mistakes.

In Exodus 32 we learn of the fickle Israelites. While Moses was having this amazing personal time with God, the Israelites became impatient and distracted; they thought a little party would be in order. Idol worshipping, drunkenness and revelry were the order of the day. God watched their activities with a burning heart and hustled Moses down the mountain. As Moses approached the camp, he was appalled by the sordid deeds of the Israelites. He stood at the entrance to the camp and called, "Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!" The Levites rallied to him and were ordered to kill the evildoers with the sword. God then punished the remainder of the camp with a plague. Wow, quite the price to pay for a self inflicted kink in your neck.

How is your neck feeling? Do you get a little uppity when convicted of questionable behavior? Do you justify your rebellious actions? Try rotating your neck in the direction of your heart: "Blessed is the man who fears (loves) the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands." (Psalm 112:1) A quick read of this verse sounds very flowery and sweet but take a good look at God's commandments and expectations peppered throughout the Bible. God's standards are not a skip down the lane. Anyone can meet lowly expectations. He wants you to stretch for the best! God values you as a soul worth training!

Can you obey with pure, unadulterated joy? Of course not! Thank God for the challenge anyway and take two giant steps forward. Make the choice to rejoice! Attitude is everything in God's boot camp! Your genuine affection for God and sacrificial manner beckons the Holy Spirit to carry you onward and upward. Quite literally, the joy of the Lord will be your strength.

There are only winners in the pursuit of obedience. She stands at the finish line handing out blue ribbons and band-aids to every contestant. Skinned knees and bruised egos are part of the victor's package. You may be a little tired and achy, but your neck will feel superb!

Answer 8

A stiff neck is one who is unwilling to bend or unable to see past their own line of sight.
To be stiff necked is to refuse to see anothers point of view, or refuse to look around and see what sufferings are going on.
The lack of faith would fall into this category because if you refuse to see, then as with faith, it only goes as far as your willing to concede, or see.

Answer 9

Grace unto you and peace,
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The term "stiff neck" is used twice in the Holy Bible: Deuteronomy 31:27 (written by Moses) and Psalms 75:5 (written by David); And it denotes "rebellion" against the LORD, more specifically a "high" thing of high/higher things (law of law/grace)... which things are an "allegory", written as "mystery" to solve, and "learn" from.

The term "little faith" is used five times: Mt 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; 16:8; Lk 12:28. It allegorically refers to being "childish" of child/man (1Cor 13), or being law of law/grace, or old of old/new, or before of before/after, etc.

And the term "ye" of ye/you is notably always used in connection with "little faith". Jesus also noted it's "ye" who "do err", greatly(lawly) err, even "alway". And in John 8:32 where both "ye" and "you" are used, it's: "ye" shall know the truth and the truth shall make "you" free. Both ye/you are also used in 1Peter 5:10, which denotes of ye/you it's "you" who are made perfect by the God of all grace after "ye" suffer awhile (in law).
http://www.godshew.org/YeYou.htm

Paul The Apostle often takes both sides of law vs grace until his conclusions(grace with you all) in his epistles; And therein notes

"whatsoever is not of faith is sin": Romans 14:23
"the law is not of faith": Galatians 3:12
Without faith it's impossible to please God: Heb 11
God is never pleased with sacrifice for sin: Heb 10

POINT: "grace is SUFFICIENT" (no law at all req'd)

The "grace" of our Lord Jesus Christ with you all. Amen.

Answer 10

If you are stiff necked you can't look around you. If you can't look around yourself, what can you learn? If you can't learn, what faith can you have. Any more help needed email me