According to Merriam Webster, obstinate: “stubbornly adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion.” Pharaoh is pretty stubborn. He dug his heels in even when faced with the amazing displays of divine power from the God of Israel. I am pretty sure the Pharisees were unconvinced by Jesus’ explanation given in the gospel for why the apostles were plucking grain to eat. No doubt they dug in their heels. I would guess that when Jesus said: “I say to you, something greater than the temple is here” – they just rolled their eyes.
Perhaps I am too quick to judge the Pharisees. Weren’t they persevering in their understanding of the Law? There’s a difference between perseverance and obstinacy. Perseverance is the virtue of remaining steadfast in truth and love, even amid trial. Obstinacy, on the other hand, is a stubborn clinging to one’s own will or opinion, often in defiance of truth, correction, or grace.
The Book of Proverbs warns: “Those stiff-necked in the face of reproof in an instant will be shattered beyond cure” (Prov 29:1). That was certainly true for Pharoah. A verse like the one in Proverbs bites deeply because it points to a spiritual danger: when the heart becomes so resistant that it can no longer hear the voice of God—or even of reason—there comes a point when the soul turns in on itself.
In the Gospels, Jesus encounters many who are open to healing and mercy. But there are also the Pharisees and scribes, who remain unmoved, not due to lack of evidence or encounter, but because their hearts are hard. “They look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.’ Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: ‘You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people’” (Mt 13:13-15). This is obstinacy in its spiritual form: a refusal to be taught, led, or even surprised by God.
Obstinacy isn’t just a character flaw; it is a spiritual ailment. It often springs from pride or fear: pride in thinking we know best, or fear of the vulnerability that comes with change. And yet the Christian life is one of continual conversion—of being re-formed in the image of Christ.
Saint Augustine knew this well. He once prayed, “Lord, make me chaste—but not yet.” It was his own admission of the tug-of-war between divine prompting and stubborn resistance. And yet grace prevailed, not because he was strong, but because he finally surrendered.
So how do we address obstinacy in ourselves? First, with patience, as God has shown patience to us. Second, within seek truth, spoken in love and without compromise. And most importantly, through prayer, asking God to soften the hardened heart. As the prophet Ezekiel reminds us: “And I will give them another heart and a new spirit I will put within them. From their bodies I will remove the hearts of stone, and give them hearts of flesh” (Ezek 11:19). That is a divine work. Our part is to leave the door open.
Pray for the wisdom to recognize when we are resisting God’s will, and to be humble enough to let Him lead—even when it means letting go of a way that is familiar and comfortable.
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