Ears that Hear
“…When he (Jesus) had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” Luke 8:8
Whenever Jesus used the phrase we read in the text above, He was letting his audience know that what He had just said was so important that it necessitated them taking the time to understand it. He was telling them to not just listen, but to hear and comprehend. Of course, not nearly enough of them actually responded properly.
In 41 years of being around church and nearly 20 years of ministry I have observed 3 types of ‘non-hearers.’
1. THOSE WHO DON’T HEAR
- They simply never slow down long enough
- The cares of life have them all tied up and distracted
- Before they know it, time makes a decision for them about the things of God
2. THOSE WHO WON’T HEAR
- This is a sheer act of will
- They don’t want to see or understand the words of Jesus because of the change it would require in their lives
- They don’t want to face ridicule from friends that might not be ready to follow Jesus
- They simply dig in their heels
3. THOSE WHO CAN’T HEAR
- They are oblivious
- They do not possess the age, experience, readiness of heart to hear and understand
- Certain messages simply fly over the top of their heads having no effect. The message doesn’t even register as important.
- In time, these individuals can be prepared by the Lord to hear. If they understand how important every message of Jesus is, they can even ask God to give them understanding and application.
We should always maintain a sincere desire to hear and understand all of God’s word. With this mindset, He will help us to be prepared to hear and comprehend so that we don’t miss important truths as they come to us.
“So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.” Luke 8:18
By Pastor Phil Lemke
