That is why I speak to them in parables because looking they do not see and hearing they do not listen or understand. Matthew 13:13 CSB
If you have ever tried to speak to someone about something they didn’t understand, you know that you can help them understand it if you can relate it to something in their everyday lives. It’s easier for us to understand something when it relates to something we are familiar with.
When the disciples asked Jesus why he spoke in parables, He explained it in our Scripture passage today. He then went on in verses 14-15 to say, “Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says, you will listen and listen, but never understand; you will look and look but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown callous; their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes otherwise they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts-and I would heal them.”
When we stop listening, we stop hearing and when we stop hearing, we can no longer understand. I know there was a time in my life when I sat on a church pew and listened to the words coming from the preacher’s mouth, but I wasn’t hearing them. When we truly hear and understand God’s word, we want to do God’s word. We want to live our lives according to God’s holy Word. We want to be doers of the word and not just hearers of the word (James 1:22).
Over and over in, Jesus said, “Let those who have ears listen.” God gave us two ears and one mouth. We should be quick to listen and slow to speak and slow to become angry (James 1:19). When we harden our hearts, it effects our hearing.
When your heart is hard, you don’t want to hear God’s word. You reject God’s word because you want to do it your way. I know I lived this way for quite some time. When we experience heartache and pain because someone has hurt us, we put a wall up around us and harden our heart to protect us. We don’t understand that Jesus is our protector (Psalm 91).
If you are hearing God’s word and unable to do God’s word, you need to check your heart and your hearing. If your heart has grown callous, you may be hearing but not understanding. Turn to God, repent and ask Him to fill your heart with His Holy Spirit.
There are things Jesus commands us to do that we just can’t do with a hard heart. We can’t love Him with our whole heart if our heart is hard. We can’t love others as we love ourselves if our heart is hard (Matthew 22:37-39). We can’t imitate Christ if our heart is hard (Ephesians 5:1).
But the worst part is we can’t hear and understand and see and perceive if our heart has grown callous. If you have suffered betrayal or great loss, know that God is there to comfort you. He will wrap you in His warm embrace. He will protect you. You need only to surrender it all to Him. He is waiting with open arms and an open heart.
Go to Him and allow Him to save you and comfort you. Also understand that He does this so we can comfort others. God doesn’t save us and comfort us just so we can bask in His loving embrace. He does this, so we can extend His love to others.
We are told in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 that God comforts us so we can be a comfort to others. We are told in Matthew 28:19-10 to go and make disciples of others.
If your heart has grown callous, come to Jesus, He will soften it up for you. Then your heart will improve along with your hearing.
Have a great day!