Issue 1508 – Got Ears? – July 26, 2024
I was awakened a little early this morning by the sound of a dog barking. We were pet-sitting for the night, and the grand-dog wanted out to do her morning business.
It’s usually a sound that I don’t hear, or if it does register, I can ignore either because one of the kids will let her out. When the kids are away, I listen more actively to that particular sound.
There are plenty of things in life that we treat that way. We no longer hear or see them because we don’t have to (or want to) deal with them. They are someone else’s problem.
Sometimes, we are so used to seeing (or hearing) that we grow almost blind (or deaf). Other times, it is intentional, such as seeing a homeless person or a street beggar. We can go to great lengths to avoid making eye contact or listening.
In many places in the gospels, particularly at the end of a problematic saying or parable, we read the words of Jesus, “He who has ears to hear.” Here is an example.
Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Mark 4:1-9
The same phrase appears at the end of each letter to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death. Revelation 2:11
Who has ears to hear? Ears are a feature shared by all humanity. Not having ears happens, but it is an unnatural occurrence caused by trauma or genetic issues.
So Jesus is talking to all of us, reinforcing the words of the parable. We might say something like, “Listen up. This is really important.”
There is a vast difference between having ears and ears that hear. When the kids are home, I have ears, but they ignore the dog. When they are away, I have ears that hear; I know the dog needs looking after.
There will come a point in time when everyone has heard the gospel in some fashion. It could be written or spoken words or dreams and visions. However, not everyone will respond to Jesus’ call.
Not everyone will have ears that hear. Those who reject will do so intentionally. They will have decided they don’t want the truth and prefer darkness over the light.
We can debate differing understandings of the doctrine of election and the ins and outs of free will. However you look at those issues, it becomes clear that not everyone will open their hearts to trust Christ by faith.
So does knowing that many (perhaps most) won’t have ears to hear negate our responsibility to proclaim the truth?
Not at all. We aren’t responsible for the results; only Holy Spirit can soften a heart of stone.
Our role is proclamation, in word and deed, and by example. The role of listening is left up to the individual. Some will come after hearing one, but others will need to hear it many times throughout a lifetime.
Please don’t give up, my friends. None of us know who will have the ears to hear or when. Trust in Jesus for the results and take the gospel to every corner of the earth. Jesus can heal the deaf and raise the dead.
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)
Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the English Standard Version (ESV)