“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:15 KJV)
We all have these appendages on the sides of our heads that receive sound waves. These aural organs enable human beings to perceive and understand sound, such as spoken words. Hearing is one of the major blessings of physical life. All who are blessed to enjoy it should be extremely grateful.
Yet, I do not think Jesus was referring entirely to the physical side of hearing. Yes, hearing is essential to our eternal salvation (Romans 10:14), still the context points toward a proper understanding rather than physical hearing.
Proper hearing is so important to us, yet we fail to hear God clearly because of the cacophony of noise all around our personal worlds. Perhaps this is why Jesus taught, “when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father which is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly” (Matthew 6:6).
From today’s passage, our Lord’s instruction infers that some issues need more careful consideration. Some issues are not immediately comprehended. And the surprising thing is: the simpler the issue, the more profound it usually is.
If the issue is that John the Baptist personifies the prophesied Elias who was to precede the Messiah, then the Messiah’s kingdom is at the door. And everyone listening to Jesus should hear this loud and clear. The things of God have eternal consequence and should not be ignored out of hand. God expects us to use our physical faculties in understanding his words and commands.
We might say that we are not ignorant because we do not have ability, but because we do not use our abilities effectively. Basically, Jesus is saying, “Do not close your minds to this. Grasp it! Understanding it! Recognize its ramifications. Do not plug your hears.”
Dear Father, thank you for this blessing of hearing. Enable us to also hear clearly in the spirit that we might properly understand your words and commands. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be courageous today in listening to the Lord,