Did you know that without ears you would lose your balance? Have you measured your ears since a decade ago? Chances are they have grown since then. Have you ever thought that ears never sleep? While many will say we have two ears for a specific reason (to listen more than we speak), having two ears allows us to note from what direction sounds come.[1] Ears play a vital role for man physiologically, but more importantly they can guide or destroy a man spiritually.
God made the ears (Proverbs 20:12). Jesus preached many sermons on ears. On one occasion, He asked if His disciples ears were functioning properly (Mark 8:18). His discourses were about man’s spiritual ears. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record Jesus’ parable of the Sower. The principle of the parable is on hearing, and it examines different ears’ responses to the Gospel. Before the parable, Jesus’ statement as recorded differently by the three writers should be studied:
Take Heed THAT You Hear (Matthew 13:9).
Jesus said “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Hearing is an essential salvation prerequisite. It always precedes obedience (cf. Acts 18:8). Paul wrote “how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?” (Romans 10:14). It was the hearing of the Gospel that caused the Jews to be pricked in their heart (Acts 2:37) and it was hearing Philip’s message that stirred obedience of those in Samaria (Acts 8:6, 12). Hearing is the fundamental requirement from a sinner; faith cannot not obtained without it (Romans 10:17). Truly, it is detrimental for one’s soul not to hear the Law (Proverbs 28:9) and to have dull ears (Matthew 13:15; Hebrews 5:11). So, make sure you are willing to hear!
Take Heed WHAT You Hear (Mark 4:24).
Not only is it important to take heed that you hear, but Jesus also cautions us to be careful what we hear. The context suggests hearing right words that we “accept as our authority.”[2] Humans hear about 20,000-30,000 words per day.[3] How much of these words are beneficial and spiritually helpful? How can we be careful about what we hear?
Test everything we hear (1 John 4:1). If we do not test, we may fall to false words. The Proverbs’ writer said “Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge” (Proverbs 19:27). The noble Bereans were careful to discern what they heard (Acts 17:11). While we may not be able to stop the first mention, we can stop listening and accepting it.
Listen to godly words (Philippians 4:8). We cannot listen to error and truth simultaneously. If we choose to listen to sermons or the Bible we will find it hard to listen to false teaching.
It is good to make sure we “give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip” (Hebrews 2:1). False doctrine can taint the ears and poison the mind. It is important then to make sure we hear things that are sweet to the taste (Psalm 119:103) instead of words that cause cancer (2 Timothy 2:17). Make sure you take heed WHAT you are hearing.
Take Heed HOW You Hear (Luke 8:18).
“The story is told of Franklin Roosevelt, who often endured long receiving lines at the White House. He complained that no one really paid any attention to what was said. One day, during a reception, he decided to try an experiment. To each person who passed down the line and shook his hand, he murmured, ‘I murdered my grandmother this morning.’ The guests responded with phrases like, ‘Marvelous! Keep up the good work. We are proud of you. God bless you, sir.’”[4]
It is not only important that we hear, what we hear, but also how we hear. For some, information goes in one ear and out the other. Jesus talked about people who were guilty of “hearing (but-NO) they hear not, neither do they understand” (Matthew 13:13). Good hearing is preceded by a sincere heart and is followed with understanding and action (James 1:22-25). Some have selective hearing (2 Timothy 4:3-4) and never move from hearing to listening. It is important how we hear.
Ears are an important part of the body. God gave them to us to hear singing, talking, and especially His Word. Let us make sure that we do hear, that we do hear good things, and that we do hear good things that will lead us to act upon them.
[2]Bob Winton.
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