Have you ever had a conversation with someone, and felt like they weren’t really listening, couldn’t see what you were saying, and, most of all, didn’t seem to care?
We all have.
Hopefully, we will give the person the benefit of the doubt and try again, but if this trend continues, it will kill or certainly minimize this relationship for us. None of us like to be in relationships like this. Neither does Jesus.
In Matthew 13 after he had spoken to the crowd about the parable of the sower, his disciples asked him why he spoke in parables. In verses 13 to 16, we find the answer:
“This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’
But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
What a terrible dilemma. I actually looked up “dull.” It means lacking interest or excitement or brightness. So the question is this: how do we approach Jesus as we come to him each day to read our Bibles and pray? Do we have dull hearts weighted down with the busyness and many distractions of this life, and ears that don’t really hear because we are not really listening, or do we come in awe and wonder and a sense of the great privilege it is to know Him and to be known by Him and to be able to hear from Him?
Jesus I pray that we would come to you each day with hearts that are tender and excited and wholly yours and ears and eyes that are open to hear and see what you will say to us.
Thank you for this timely reminder. In our hurried(and harried) world, it’s so easy to be “ever hearing, but never perceiving” with our whole heart and mind. Our Lord deserves full attention for those few precious minutes every morning, and hopefully for the quiet whispers throughout the day.
So glad you took the step of faith to do this! Your words of wisdom are a blessing to many!
Thank you Deborah, this is a great reminder. Lord please help us to be fully present.
Thanks for sharing this!