Ears to Hear

Exodus 7-8

Proverbs 29

Matthew 13

Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Matthew 13:9-12(NLT) Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
¹⁰ His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”
¹¹ He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. ¹² To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.

The parables of Jesus are beloved by so many of us.  They are stories that illustrate the true purposes of God by comparing them to physical activities that are familiar to the people hearing the story.  The great question that Jesus asks of us is:   “Do you have ears to hear?”.  The question goes to the state of the ears of our heart, not our physical ears.  We will come to an understanding of the secrets of the Kingdom of God when we listen to God’s Word with our hearts and minds.  In the Greek the mind is considered to be the place of our thoughts, where the heart is the place of what we truly believe and treasure. 

What is the “pearl of great price” of your heart?

Then Jesus quotes from the book of Isaiah chapter 6. 

Matthew 13:13-16(NLT) That is why I use these parables,
For they look, but they don’t really see.
They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.
¹⁴ This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,

‘When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
¹⁵ For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.’

¹⁶ “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. ¹⁷ I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.

In such a few words Jesus cuts right to the important things of life.  We will be blessed when hear God’s Word with our hearts, not just having good thoughts.  He also shows us what the righteous people of Israel have that makes them the people of God.  They desired to understand the wonderful truths that come so easily to us today.  Our access to Biblical understanding and the support and support that we have is amazing.  The history and scholarship that we have to access brings us a great knowledge, but also a great responsibility. 

How precious to you is this truth of God’s Word you have received?

Just in the time of my walk with God we have gone from typing a paper on a manual typewriter to using this wonderful Microsoft Word program I am using.  With my less than perfect typing and grammar being constantly corrected, I can put down decent communication without whiteout or retypes.  We have access to 20 different Bible versions at the ready and the Internet full of research and commentary to help search out this great truth.  I still have research books and materials that are paper bound and treasure them, but to find the passages or section with a search of material online is amazing. 

But still the Word needs to become rooted in our hearts.  Read Psalm 119:11 with me this morning.

Psalms 119:11(NLT) I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.

Also, Psalm 1 tells us to meditate, which is to consider carefully our thoughts, motives, and actions in the framework of God’s Word.

Psalms 1:1-3(NKJV) Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
² But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
³ He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

Part of the strength of the Word to change us is that God uses so many figures of speech as well as parables to get us to examine our lives.  Knowledge is great, but the understanding of a section comes from the spirit of God within you. 

1 Corinthians 2:9-10(NKJV) But as it is written:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
¹⁰ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

What are the truths that you have learned that have most changed your heart to love God?

Have a wonderful day today with the meditation of your heart focused on God’s truths, and building our love for Him and His Son in all we do. 

Love in Christ Tom S.

Reflection Questions –

See bold questions above

Prayer

Dear God Almighty – I thank you for the wonderful gift of your Words and Wisdom delivered to us, through your dear Son Jesus, the master of parables, through all 66 books of the Bible, and through Your Spirit. I pray for eyes to see and ears to hear Your truths. Help me discern what knowledge, wisdom and direction is from You that I may go in the way You want me to go and say what you want me to say. I want my heart to be focused on You, Your truth, what You have done, are doing today and will do. Thank You for Your Son who is Coming Again! In his name we pray, Amen.