Ears to Hear

 Ears to Hear 

Lesson Text: Matthew 13:9-17 

Related Scriptures: Matthew 13:18-23; I Corinthians 2:6-16 

TIME: A.D. 28 

PLACE: Sea of Galilee 

GOLDEN TEXT—“Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 13:9). 

Introduction 

Oday ouyay ememberray enwhay ouyay okespay inay Igpay Atinlay osay atthay ouryay ildrenchay ouldway otnay owknay atwhay ouyay ereway ayingsay? You did this with your spouse in order to communicate a message that he or she would understand but that the children would miss. 

Do you know that parables were something like that? Jesus taught His followers in parables so that they could gain spiritual understanding while others listening in could not. Without spiritual insight, people were incapable of grasping the truths being taught. In I Corinthians 2:1 through 3:4, Paul wrote of different types of people: spiritually mature, spiritually immature, and natural (unsaved). Each group responds differently to the truth. 

When a person preaches or teaches the Word of God, his listeners hear him through preconceived ideas that determine what they understand from the message. Unsaved people cannot grasp spiritual truth. They hear the message one way. Spiritually immature, people cannot grasp much spiritual truth, so they hear in a different way. Spiritually mature people hear in a distinctive way as well. They are able to grasp truth the others cannot. 

LESSON OUTLINE 

THE IMPORTANCE OF LISTENING—Matt. 13:9-13 

THE DISCREPANCIES IN LISTENING—Matt. 13:14-17 Exposition: Verse by Verse 

THE IMPORTANCE OF LISTENING 

MATT. 13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 

10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 

11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 

12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 

13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. Hearing parables 

(Matt. 13:9-10). In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you” (Matt. 7:6). There are spiritual truths that ungodly people cannot possibly comprehend. In their ignorance they often take what they think they understand and twist it into something with a completely different meaning. This is repeatedly demonstrated by many Hollywood stars in their references to God and holy matters. 

{In New Testament days, there were ungodly people who apparently had a curious interest in spiritual matters but were not interested in embracing the gospel of Jesus Christ. From them spiritual truth was withheld. They could neither grasp it nor apply it to their lives in meaningful ways.}Q1 When Jesus taught His disciples the “mysteries of the kingdom” (Matt. 13:11), He used a method of teaching that kept ungodly listeners from comprehending what He was saying. When He said, “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (vs. 9), He was referring to the godly, who could understand. 

Jesus had just finished telling the parable of the sower (vss. 3-8). {As we find out later in the chapter, even the disciples could not initially understand the meaning of this parable (vss. 18-23). But when it was explained to them, they would have the capability of comprehending the message Jesus conveyed. They were puzzled, however, as to why Jesus was teaching in parables. It did not seem difficult to them to understand the spiritual truths He was communicating, but why did He do it in this somewhat roundabout way?}Q2 

The disciples probably did not realize how deaf ungodly ears are to spiritual teaching. Perhaps many of us never realized previously how differently biblical teaching is perceived by unbelievers. It is a curious matter to us that some people hear the same message we do and get something entirely different from it. 

Hearing and understanding (Matt. 13:11-12a). {Jesus had offered Himself to Israel as her Messiah, but she had rejected Him. The epitome of the rejection can be seen in the statement in Matthew 12:24. The religious leaders had concluded, “This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.” In saying this they attributed His power and authority to Satan. It appears that it was after this rejection that Jesus began teaching in parables much more extensively.}Q3 The disciples noticed the different emphasis and asked Jesus the reason for it. 

{In response to their question about teaching in parables, Jesus gave three reasons. The first is given in these verses. Jesus wanted to pass on to His followers the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. These truths were not meant for unbelievers.}Q4 The word “mysteries” refers to truth that had not previously been revealed to anyone. There are truths in the New Testament that were never given in the Old. The apostle Paul referred to this, for example, in I Corinthians 4:1. 

Those who believed in the Lord were enjoying the privilege of learning more about Him, His Father, and the eternal plan coming from them. Those who rejected the Lord were being denied any further comprehension because of their refusal to believe. This still occurs today. Those who receive the Saviour are given insight into the Word of God, while those who reject Him cannot understand it. Likewise, those endeavoring to grow in their knowledge of the Lord learn more and more of His will and ways than Christians who are stuck in spiritual immaturity 

This should become a challenge to every believer. Spiritual growth does not come from perfunctory Christian activities. While it is good to attend church regularly, it is possible to listen passively and leave the services without having received a message in the heart. For example, how many times do we sing thought-provoking words in hymns and gospel songs without even thinking of those words while we sing? How often do the soloist and preacher present meaningful messages and we remain unmoved in our hearts? It is widely known that many believers do not engage in daily devotions, let alone in-depth Bible study on their own. God has filled His Word with wisdom beyond our imagination, but as Proverbs 2 teaches, we must search diligently for that wisdom. When we do, we are promised wisdom and insight far beyond what is granted to those who have little interest in God’s Word. God graciously adds to what we already have when we search diligently for more. 

Hearing and not understanding 

(Matt. 13:12b-13). {The second reason Jesus gave for teaching in parables was His desire to hide spiritual insight from those who were rejecting Him.}Q4 We saw this fact as part of His first reason, but He especially emphasized it in these verses. {Verse 11 includes the phrase “to them it is not given,” indicating that those outside the circle of believers were not being given the same spiritual instruction as the believers. While they could hear what Jesus was saying, they could not understand it.}Q5 

Note the statement “whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath” (vs. 12). Prior to His rejection by the Pharisees (12:24), Jesus had presented Himself to Israel as their Messiah. Everyone had been given enough information to be able to respond positively to Him. Those who did so were now learning more; those who did not were now having what little they did understand taken from them. 

It has already been established that rejection of the truth stops any learning of further truth. Jesus now seemed to be saying that it also causes a person to forget the truth that brought him to consider God’s message. {We see the reality of this in people we know who once were under conviction of their need for salvation but turned away from it. They then apparently forgot what they heard. This is probably best illustrated in the example of the first person described in the parable of the sower. He received the truth but did not understand it and so rejected it. As a result the truth was snatched away from his heart by the enemy (13:18-19).}Q6 

{Jesus described such a person as one who saw but did not see and heard but did not hear. Those who rejected Him saw Him teaching the people and listened to His words, but they could not understand His messages. They had physical hearing without an ability to hear spiritually. They had physical sight without an ability to comprehend spiritual reality. A mental comprehension of what is going on in a church service is not the same thing as spiritual comprehension. It is possible to be physically present and miss the meaning.}Q7 

First Corinthians 2:14 explains it this way: “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Is it possible that someone in your Sunday school class has never received Jesus as personal Saviour and so is without the ability to discern spiritual truth? When we trust in Him, God sends His Holy Spirit to dwell in us and enable us to understand things we have never been able to grasp before (I Cor. 2:9-12, 14). 

THE DISCREPANCIES IN LISTENING 

14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 

15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 

17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 

Isaiah’s prophecy (Matt. 13:14-15). {These words are quoted from Isaiah 6:9-10. Isaiah 6 records the call of Isaiah to his prophetic ministry.}Q8 He described how he saw the Lord sitting on a throne high and exalted, with seraphim around Him proclaiming His holiness. Upon seeing this, Isaiah felt completely unworthy and cried out, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (vs. 5). 

One of the seraphim then took a live coal from the altar and touched Isaiah’s mouth with it, proclaiming that his iniquity was taken away and his sin purged (vs. 7). After this, Isaiah heard God asking whom He could send with His message. Isaiah responded that he would go. God then commissioned him as a prophet to His people Israel. It was at that point that God spoke the words that are quoted in Matthew 13. As it turned out, this became a call to a very long and discouraging ministry for Isaiah. 

Isaiah was to tell the people to keep listening without understanding and to keep looking without perceiving. His ministry began around 739 B.C., prior to the captivity of the northern nation of Israel (which occurred in 722 B.C.). By then Israel was so corrupt that God would not turn from His determination to punish her with captivity. Sadly, Judah, the southern kingdom, was also filled with corruption. The people’s worship was largely empty ritualism (Isa. 1:10-15), and idolatry was rampant (40:18-20; 46:5-7). 

Since the hearts of the people in Isaiah’s day were already hardened against God, the more he preached, the more hardened they would become. As he ministered, their hearts would become increasingly dull (the meaning of “make the heart of this people fat” [6:10]), their ears would become less receptive to this message, and their eyes would remain blinded to the truth. They had reached the point in their rejection of God where He refused to enable them to turn back and be healed. Judgment was already on its way. 

{The same thing that happened to the people in Isaiah’s day was now happening in Jesus’ day. People had rejected God and the Messiah He had sent. To fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy was the third reason Jesus spoke in parables. Just as in Isaiah’s time, there would be a remnant of believers, but on the whole, the people were rejecting Him and would suffer the consequences.}Q9 

The disciples’ blessing (Matt. 13:16-17). {The disciples were a great contrast to those who rejected Jesus, and as a result they were unusually blessed. They had believed that Jesus was indeed the Messiah sent from God; therefore, they were able to comprehend further spiritual truths.}Q10 Using the same terminology, Jesus said their eyes could see and their ears could hear. That is completely the opposite of those who had no spiritual comprehension at all. This contrast still applies between believers and nonbelievers. 

Perhaps the greatest privilege of all was the fact that these disciples lived in the actual days of Messiah’s appearance and ministry. This is brought out by Jesus’ saying that many prophets and righteous men from the past had a great desire to see the fulfillment of the things they spoke. Isaiah is an example, for his words included many prophecies about the coming, ministry, and death of the Messiah. When he came to the end of his life, however, Isaiah had not seen any of those things actually come to pass. 

Read what Peter wrote about this subject: “Though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 

“Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into” (I Pet. 1:8-12). Today we rejoice in the full revelation of the salvation available through Jesus Christ! 

It is a serious thing to hear spiritual truth and then reject it. The ministries of all the Old Testament prophets emphasized this. They repeatedly warned Israel that God’s judgment would come upon them if they continued to ignore His Word. The history of the Old Testament verifies that God’s warnings came to pass. Both Israel and Judah went into captivity. Once spiritual truth has been heard, the listeners become accountable for what they do with it. 

Let no one ignore the truth that salvation is only through Jesus Christ. To ignore this is to face eternal separation from God. —Keith E. Eggert.

Union Gospel Press, Union Gospel Press; Union Gospel Press, Union Gospel Press. Bible Expositor and Illuminator (pp. 241-249). Union Gospel Press. Kindle Edition.