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We need sensitive spiritual ears. Spiritual ears are imperative to spiritual understanding. There are a number of different ear impairments that sometimes affect our ability to hear with our physical ears.
Matthew 11 – Jesus told his disciples that they had had missed at least part of the message that John the Baptist had been proclaiming to them.
Matthew 13:10-17 – God has given us the opportunity of hearing, but we also have the ability to choose then whether we really will hear and understand and accept the message that He is sharing with us.
God ministers to the hearts that are completely open and listening for what He is saying. The Gospel is for those who are open to hear it, those who want to be told, who sense their need. Jesus came for “those who are sick” not those who think that they are well.
So, what are “ears that hear?” We don’t have a switch on our ears that allows us to turn on and off when we want to hear something or don’t want to hear something. There are often a lot of small reasons behind whether we hear and understand something or just hear it and let it pass “in one ear and out the other.”
Can I hear when God speaks? Are my ears in a condition to hear when God speaks? God won’t force us when we don’t hear. Sometimes he’ll bring things into our lives to help us wake up, but He won’t force us to listen and hear.
We have an ability, even on a physical level to tune out things that we don’t want to hear. It is difficult for us to concentrate fully on more than one thing at a time with our ears. Have you ever tried to listen to two conversations at the same time? To be able to understand what is being said we need to listen with attention and concentration and a heart to listen.
So, how do we open our spiritual ears? Jesus said, “he who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Did you ever notice that the parable of the sower is all about hearing? It’s about seed, and soil and harvest… but ultimately it is about hearing and understanding and following the Word of God.
Are we paying attention? Are we hearing what God is trying to tell us?
The good ground in this parable hears, and receives, his heart is open and sincere, he is seeking and looking for the truth. When he hears the truth, he accepts the truth. He understands the importance of taking head, because truly hearing means taking action, obeying what we hear.
Mark 4:21-33 – We have been given the truth. We don’t need to hide this truth, we should live it! If we have ears, let us hear what Jesus is telling us. Diligently attend to what you are listening to, seek to understand what you are hearing. Listen up.
John 9 – The Jews had come to Jesus and were asking Him questions that He had already answered. Jesus told them that He had already told them these things, but they weren’t listening! How many times does Jesus talk to us and we just weren’t listening?
Human ears hear many sounds… but there is a deeper kind of hearing. How is my spiritual hearing? Are my spiritual ears tuned to what God is saying? Am I tuning things out that I shouldn’t be?
Romans 12:1-2 – When God speaks, the spiritual ear will respond with brokenness. He who has an ear to hear… let him hear. We want to know the will of God and hear what He is saying to us. When we put our all on the alter, there is very little left that will get in the way of our hearing what God is trying to tell us.
