April 27, 2007
“When Jesus said this, He called out, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear.’ His disciples asked Him what this parable meant. He said, ‘The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘“though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand”…. Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him’” (Luke 8:8a-10, 18 NIV).
The parables through which Jesus disclosed the secrets of the Kingdom of God were not mystic codes to be translated and decoded by the few who have exceptional intellectual understanding of the hidden knowledge of God. Nor were they supernatural messages so sophistically ethereal that only an ascended master could absorb and/or appreciate them. Instead, they were straightforward characterizations of the Kingdom that even a child could grasp and engage them.
The problem then for people in receiving them (by which I mean understanding and incorporating them in daily living) is in the receptivity of their hearts towards their fundamental need for God and His preeminent right to exercise lordship in their lives. Let’s face it. For you and me to enjoy the blessings of God, we must come to Him on His terms. For us to experience the power of His promises, we must be willing to say “yes” to God to whatever leading He submits to us. If we do not and instead deliberate in our hearts to attain His blessings on OUR terms, then the truths of the kingdom are incomprehensible to us. Pride, lusts of the flesh, greed, and envy will all bequeath a blindness to our spiritual eyes and a deafness to our spiritual ears.
So when Jesus makes the statement, “though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand”, He’s simply declaring a blessing upon those whose hearts are hungry for God. If you are hungry for God and are really ready to reach out to Him on His terms, then do not be afraid! He will not turn you away.
The things that will hinder your coming to Him are basic yet often so effectual. For example, we can FEAR to “hear” the message and respond to it. We fear to risk responding to the invitation of God because we fear that He’ll reject us (in spite of His claims to the contrary – see Jeremiah 29:14). Or we fear that God will not or cannot keep His promises to us (and that He really isn’t “faithful and true” after all – see Revelations 3:14).
Another millstone often tied about our necks is our UNWILLINGNESS to hear the message (to repent of our own ways and follow God). In all honesty, turning to Jesus means that a radical change is going to take place – an inward change that will also manifest itself outwardly. In other words, a person might turn a deaf ear to the message of God’s offer of life simply because he or she is unwilling to let go of pride, bitterness, or selfish desires. A lot of people might become Christians if it means that they can continue on in whatever lifestyle they want. But it doesn’t work that way. To lay hold of Jesus, we must first be willing to let go of anything and everything which resists His claim upon our lives. “Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:27 NIV).
And finally another reason we cannot at times “hear” the message of the Gospel is that our world generates a tremendous amount of static. Hectic schedules (one busy thing after another) and no time to reflect, meditate, and pray between them leave us no opportunity to learn the distinct and lovely sound of the Savior’s voice. Although we applaud the one who can multitask, we fail to recognize the fact that the incessant “multi-tasking” crowds out our audience with the King of kings, overwhelming our mortal faculties so that we cannot discern our hunger and see the hand of God offering us His Bread of Life.
If you want to have ears to hear, you must begin to consciously choose to trust God, let go, and spend time with Him. Tame your fears by rehearsing the goodness and greatness of God. Release your life’s potential by learning to let go of things that hurt and hinder a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Set time and make a habit of both private and corporate worship and devotion characterized by reading and meditating on His Word, the Bible, and seeking Him in prayer.
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:20-22 NIV).
(Thom Mollohan and his family have ministered in southern Ohio the past eleven years. He is the pastor of Pathway Community Church, which meets on Sunday mornings at the Ariel Theatre. He may be reached for comments or questions by email at pastorthom@pathwaygallipolis.com).
