Circumcision of the Heart and Ears

1 Furthermore, He speaks about the ears: that it is our heart which He has circumcised. The Lord says through the prophet: ‘With the hearing of the ears, they listened to Me.’ And again: ‘Those who are far away will hear with their ears and understand what I have done.’ And: ‘Be circumcised in your hearts,’ says the Lord. 2 And again He says: ‘Listen, Israel, for this is what the Lord your God says. Whoever wants to live forever, let them hear with their ears the voice of My servant.’ And again He says: ‘Hear, heavens, and give ear, earth, for the Lord has spoken these things as a testimony.’ And again He says: ‘Hear the words of the Lord, you rulers of this people.’ And again He says: ‘Hear, My children, the voice of one crying out in the wilderness.’ So He has circumcised our ears so that, hearing the word, we might believe. 3 Moreover, the circumcision in which they trust has been abolished, for He said there must be a circumcision of the heart rather than of the flesh. But they violated this because a wicked angel taught them trickery.⁠a 4 He says to them: ‘This is what the Lord your God says (this is the command I discover): Sow not among thorns; be circumcised to the Lord.’ And what does He say? ‘Be circumcised in the hardness of your hearts, and then do not stiffen your necks.’ Take this further: ‘Look,’ says the Lord, ‘all the nations are uncircumcised in the flesh, but this people is uncircumcised in their hearts.’ 5 But you might say, ‘Surely the people have been circumcised as a seal.’ No, but all Syrians and Arabians and all the priests of idols are also circumcised. Are they all part of their covenant? Furthermore, the Egyptians are included among the circumcised. 6 Therefore learn, beloved children, fully about all things. Abraham, who first established circumcision, looked ahead in spirit to Jesus when he circumcised, having received the ordinances of three letters.⁠b 7 For Scripture says: ‘And Abraham circumcised eighteen males and three hundred in his household.’ What knowledge was given to him? Notice that it first mentions eighteen, and then, after a pause, three hundred. In the eighteen, ‘I’ stands for ten and ‘H’ for eight; here you have JESUS (ΙΗ). And because the cross, in the ‘T’ (Τ), was going to have grace, it also says three hundred. So He reveals Jesus in the two letters, and in the remaining one, the cross. 8 He who put within us the innate gift of His covenant knows this. No one has learned a more genuine word from me than this, but I know that you are worthy.