Thursday, August 24, 2006
NOW; CAN YOU HEAR ME?
Matt. 13: 9. "He who has ears, let him hear."
Mark 4: 9. And He was saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
Luke 8: 8b. As He said these things, He would call out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
Jesus has had, on this day, a very intensive confrontation with the religious leaders. He had taken direct opposition to their orthodoxy in open view of even some of those who are continuing to listen to Him right here by the Sea of Galilee. It is important to understand that He was becoming less and less welcome within the circles of those in charge of religion. Therefore the ears of the public became the very soil in which He was sowing His messages.
The ears of the religious were closed to the glorious gospel that offered them the salvation that they saw no need for. He explained to them that the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven (Matt. 13:31) on this same day. Hendriksen aptly says, “Is it not lack of receptivity that which, if persisted in, leads directly to the unpardonable sin?
The hearer is warned by this verse that more important information lies beyond the surface of simple hearing. He who has an ear, which would certainly be everyone listening, let him hear is a call to pay close attention.
William Barclay gives insight by an example of one speaking a playful pun. He writes, “A jest’s prosperity lies not in the tongue of him who tells it, but in the ear of him who hears it. A jest will succeed when it is told to a man who has a sense of humor, and who is prepared to smile. A jest will fail when it is told to a humorless creature, or to a man who is grimly determined not to be amused.
Mark 4: 9. And He was saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
Luke 8: 8b. As He said these things, He would call out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
Jesus has had, on this day, a very intensive confrontation with the religious leaders. He had taken direct opposition to their orthodoxy in open view of even some of those who are continuing to listen to Him right here by the Sea of Galilee. It is important to understand that He was becoming less and less welcome within the circles of those in charge of religion. Therefore the ears of the public became the very soil in which He was sowing His messages.
The ears of the religious were closed to the glorious gospel that offered them the salvation that they saw no need for. He explained to them that the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven (Matt. 13:31) on this same day. Hendriksen aptly says, “Is it not lack of receptivity that which, if persisted in, leads directly to the unpardonable sin?
The hearer is warned by this verse that more important information lies beyond the surface of simple hearing. He who has an ear, which would certainly be everyone listening, let him hear is a call to pay close attention.
William Barclay gives insight by an example of one speaking a playful pun. He writes, “A jest’s prosperity lies not in the tongue of him who tells it, but in the ear of him who hears it. A jest will succeed when it is told to a man who has a sense of humor, and who is prepared to smile. A jest will fail when it is told to a humorless creature, or to a man who is grimly determined not to be amused.
# posted by Castusfumus : 3:02 PM
