Ears to Hear, Eyes to See

Matthew 13:14-15 - For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.

...lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.

Strong words. God’s words. Truth-filled words. Maybe even words that are hard to see (read)! And the preaching of that is hard to hear, if heard. (Good news...at the end.)

Why? Because we all believe at times that we know better. We believe our morals are good enough for God. We believe in self. These too are hard words. But then why would God have had someone pen His own words:  ...lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.  Lest = for fear that. 

God has given us eyes that we might see Him through His creation. He has given us ears to hear the truth of His Word...and eyes to read it. He has given us ears and eyes to see the times we are living in and how they have been shown to us in His Book...if we take those eyes and read His words...and take those ears to a church that preaches the truth of His Word, not words to puff us up or coerce us into believing we will prosper if we plant seeds of faith into a false ministry. (This does not mean we don't tithe, according to His Word.) We need ears and eyes to know truth from lies.

The parable of the sower and the seed is what these verses allude to. The seed of God’s Word when it is heard (or read) is planted in the soil of our hearts. But we might have different soils, as the parable explains. (Luke 8:5-15)

He has given us eyes to see and ears to hear, as He says, that He might heal us. Not physical healing but spiritual healing. If one cannot see or hear properly spiritually, that healing will not happen. Eternal death comes from that. 

All hard words! But Jesus didn’t speak all words of comfort, peace and joy. His words were hard too. And often rejected. He was rejected by His own home town because who was He but the carpenter’s son. 

The enemy of our souls wants nothing more than to turn our ears and eyes away from God and life to himself and death. There is an evil spiritual realm all around us. Look at how good a job he’s doing in the world today with politics, war, and might I say, abortion and lifestyles of which He does not approve. I’m not being hateful here, just presenting God’s truth. He is also against greed, lies, lust, gluttony, pride...and more. There’s something in just that short list that can suit any one of us.  It does for me.

But here’s the good news! We can be healed! If we open our eyes to hear and our ears to listen. Don’t cast away the hard words but consider them in your heart. God wants each of us healed and the only way that can happen is through Jesus Christ. He is the Word, the hard Word, that saves us from this world’s corruption. 

The Bible is filled with examples of individuals and nations who were sinners set free. We read of their misdoings and how God forgave them when they admitted their sin before Him. Oh, people, it’s not that difficult to do. It truly is like removing chains. His words might be hard but His love is truly magnificent to those who repent and receive Him. 

Proverbs 20:12 - The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made them both.

But Now I See

John‬ ‭9:25‬ ‭- He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

I began reading a book called Jewish Culture and Customs by Steve Herzig. He a Messianic Jew meaning He has become a believer in Jesus Christ! While the book is about customs and culture the first chapter explains how Herzig became a believer after a life of Judaism and "kosherness." 

He questioned his believing sister one day after giving his life to the Lord, How do you know that you are born again? He questioned because he didn't feel any different. Her answer was that God would make HIM the best person HE could be and not to compare himself with others. And he stated that he now understood what the scripture above meant.

The blind man from John 9 is a wonderful story of healing, not just physical but spiritual. Only one who is born again will fully understand it.

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.” ‭‭(John‬ ‭9:1-3‬)

Like this man, we are all born spiritually blind. We did not ask for this. We are blind until God reveals Himself to us. It's a personal thing. It can happen at any time, anywhere. But it comes only through an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. Somehow He starts poking at your spirit. He might send a person or persons into your life who agitate! They press spiritual things on you, like attending church, or talking about their church and Bible studies they attend. This happened to me and I was agitated.

Then one day you completely fall apart. You can no longer resist His urgings. And He walks into your life and you don't know at first what hit you. With that the scripture above becomes reality.

I can't say I was fully aware immediately that my sight had come to me but I saw things differently. I had a desire to know things. I understood when I studied the Bible. I understood, in time, what being born again meant. The eyes of my heart were open to the things of God. And it was addicting.

Like I said, until we have this type of encounter with Christ we will continue to be blind. We will read what God's Word has to say and for the most part get it from one level. In Christ, with His Spirit in us we will begin to understand more, but we will never understand everything. The more we want to learn, however, the more He will reveal. A pastor can help but we are not to rely on just a man for our spiritual understanding. We go directly, humbly, to our God and His Word and He will show us.

I am so thankful for God's relentless bugging me! It took years and I remember the day before how I so strongly resisted only to receive Him the next morning. I feel ashamed at times for the resistance but I know I had to go through it to realize where I had been and where I am now.

It's not good to resist. We are to resist the devil and flee from him...but not resist and flee from God. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

Then our sermon in church yesterday was about the parable of the sower. The Word of God is preached and it can fall on four types of ground: the wayside, hard and impenetrable; stony places with little earth; thorny places where the growth of the seed is choked out; good ground where the seed will be nourished. Which soil has the Word fallen on in your life? Listen to what Jesus said: In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them" But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. (Matthew‬ ‭13:14-16‬)

This is the miracle of new birth. Once blind, we see. We are all born blind sinners until we have an encounter with Jesus and become healed. Then others will see and know what God has done. He gets the glory. I'd love to hear testimonies!!!

April 18, 1999   (my testimony)

John‬ ‭9:26-27‬ ‭- Then they [religious leaders] said to him again, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” He answered them, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”
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Whom Are You Seeking?

John 18:7-14

Then He asked them again, "Whom are you seeking?" and they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus answered, "I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way," that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, ''Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none."

Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. 

So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?" Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. 

For whatever reason even these officers of the chief priests had a hard time  believing Jesus was who He said He was! Who can understand this? Who did they think He was?  Did they see something different in Jesus? We're they astonished that as He spoke they were unable to stand in the previous verses? Why didn't Jesus have this same affect on everyone? Why doesn't He have an affect on people today, too?

The next sudden event was Peter cutting off the ear of Malchus, the high priest's servant. And why is this so important?  Malchus' name is never mentioned again! Just a flurry of activity. 

And Jesus continues to rebuke Peter for striking out and trying to prevent prophetic events to occur. And His command that the officers take Him and leave the others...that the order of historic, prophetic events would take place. All that He had come to do had to happen...and there was such a confusion among the people.

I'm afraid I have not much to say this time! Just a lot of questions. This is John 's account of all this and he does not refer to the fact that Jesus healed Malchus' ear! That alone would be yet another cause for even these men to wonder who this Man was...and maybe believe. Who knows, maybe when all was said and done, they did. I do know that this would have been Jesus' last healing...maybe it's why Malchus was named. And yet...Jesus still heals today! 

Whom are you seeking? That's a good question for us all. What miracle or healing would cause you to believe without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is Who He says He is? You have no clue what may already have transpired in your life that just may have been His hand upon you so that some day you might believe...and seek Him.  You have no idea what might transpire in the future that will cause you to give your life over to Him, the One who gave His life over for you.

He knows...He has plans for those who seek Him. He knows what holds you captive, even of you don't think you are being held captive. Do you hold unforgiveness, pride, willfulness, conceit, surety in self, self-centeredness; are you experiencing physical ailments and no possible healing; do you struggle with drugs, alcohol, depression, anxiety, hopelessness? He desires to set you free. 

Before I knew for a fact who Jesus was, not just the head knowledge, but the heart,  little by little things occurred that we're clearly leading up to the day I would meet Him and then seek more of Him. I was searching for spirituality in the wrong places and He prevented me from falling prey to the occult! It IS possible for Him to captivate you to Him and not the things in this life that do hold you captive.  He can free the hardest of criminal, or the hardest of hearts, the worst of the worst. And if you don't fit into that worst category, He can heal you too!

Jeremiah 29:11-14a - For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity...

He So Offended

John 5:10-18

And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed." He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk.'"

Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?" But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." 

The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and fought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus said to them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."

Therefore, the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

So the paralyzed man at the Pool of Bethesda was healed by Jesus. He was told to take up his bed and walk. Oh, the offense! How could the Jews be so offended that a man could now walk? Where is the rejoicing?

And oh, the laws those Jews had. Laws no one could ever perfectly keep. And these people were in the midst of One who was speaking of Himself...the One who would one day die that these impossible laws would no longer be a stumbling block for them. One Who would free them from the captivity of not only all these laws but their sins. Their access to God would be free, no longer subject to the Jewish priests. No sacrifices necessary. Just open communication with the Father.

Jesus so wanted to show these people that His way was a new way. Only God's laws were necessary, not man's added laws. These rituals practiced were useless. And in the process, as we will see, the religious leaders would be offended by one Man who would turn the world upside down with His teachings.

Jesus so offended. He told a man to take up his bed and walk. According to Jewish customs healing on the Sabbath was forbidden. So was the act of carrying anything. Two strikes against Jesus. And more to come.

Jesus also made the comment that "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." He was equating Himself with God...blaspheming in their eyes. How did they know this? The Greek word for Father had no special meaning; I looked it up! So it had to have been the miracle which they took offense to. It was the other healings and miracles they knew He had done. Who but God could heal? Yet they still did not want to believe Jesus was Who He said He was...the Son of God...come to take away the sins of the world. Imagine what this would do to their religious views. He was a threat.

In the end we find out that He was right and they were wrong. And knowing this, believing He has the power to do all things even today, should be our great comfort, should drive us to seek Him for our salvation. Should...

We find that we need not make the same sacrifices, nor do the works that once were necessary to enter into relationship with God. We just believe in our hearts that He alone has the power to heal and save our sorry souls! He heals all spiritually who desire Him. That is the greatest healing of all. Armed with that we can live our lives without fear of our future. It is secure because He has healed our broken hearts and bodies. We are no longer offended by His name. He has taken the old man and made it new...in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah and Amen!

Ephesians 3:9-12 - and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.

I Am the LORD

Exodus 12:12 - ...against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.

These words stood out this morning. They shouted at me. It sums up who God is and who He should be in our lives. When those words popped off the page I just had to stop and do a quick search to see how many times those exact words were spoken by God Himself. One search listed over 900 times! Some may have been repeated or include times when He was being quoted as saying this but it's still a staggering amount, don't you think? He wants to get our attention.

In our Hebrews Bible study we learned and continue to learn about the sovereignty of God. I am the LORD. We just don't fully understand what this means with our limited human minds. It's by the power of His Spirit we can comprehend...yet it still isn't enough of an understanding I don't think. I think in the days ahead we may be getting a better picture and better understanding. At least we ought to.

I am the LORD. He is all things to all people if He is allowed to be. If He created the world, He certainly will know all of our needs, all of our sins, unfortunately, and all our desires. The desires may not fit into His plan for us, of course, if they are only what we can achieve or all we want to be in this world, apart from Him. That's where a heart change needs to take place so we can be in His will (which might offend some) rather than our own.

I am the LORD...who heals you. I've said it before. The first and foremost healing is through our salvation by faith and faith only in Christ, not our works.  Our works are as filthy rags. But then faith without works is dead, we are told. We don't work for salvation but once we receive this salvation our works are important. They are unto the Lord.

I am the LORD...who brings you out (Exodus 29:46). Out of what? Captivity, like Israel's bondage in Egypt. When we are held captive to our wants and desires, our sins and addictions, we need that healing mentioned above. Salvation in Christ will help us overcome all our captivity. We are set free...and who the Son sets free is free indeed.

I am the LORD...who inflicts judgment (Ezekiel 28:22, 20:44). Oh, no....judgment. Remember He is sovereign and no matter how we live our lives, He will someday judge each one of us, for good or bad, whether professing believers or not. And we will know that He is LORD and every knee will bow and tongue confess He is Lord...to the glory of God.

I am the LORD...your God. When we are in Christ we can know that we know He is our God. He proclaimed this to Israel when He called them His people. Like He was in Israel, we are His people in Christ. We will not be shamed. Joel 2:27 - "...you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. Never again will my people be disgraced."

I am the LORD...your Redeemer...who knows what is best for you (Isaiah 48:17). Do I really need to say more about this? If He is sovereign and omniscient, He does know what's best for each of us.

I am the LORD...who has made all things...who churns up the sea... (Isaiah 44:24, Isaiah 51:15). He holds the stars in the sky and makes the sun and moon to rise and set at the right time...His time. Remember, there is no Mother Nature. He holds all things in His hands and has effortlessly stretched out the heavens Himself, and has knit us together in our mother's wombs. The next time you hear about a tsunami, think of God who controls this phenomenon.

I am the LORD....who is Holy (Leviticus 11:44). Because He is holy, we are to be holy, consecrate ourselves to Him, live for Him, not ourselves. 

I am the LORD....who has given us a code to live by. He asks us to keep His decrees and laws and follow them. That is why the Bible is our guide to all things in life. There were laws in the Old Testament for everyone to follow; in the New Testament we have the Word, Jesus, to follow as an example. Jesus did not replace the Laws God first set out for us. Jesus fulfilled the Laws. The sacrifices of the Old Testament Jesus performed Himself in His own death. 

I am the LORD....your God (Hosea 13:4) again. We are not to worship any other god. We are not to worship our stuff in this world, the saints or even His mother, Mary. Anything we hold up as greater than Jesus is an idol. We are to worship only Him. Hosea 13:4 continues by saying You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior but me. It is only through His death, His sacrifice that we can be reunited with God. No one else can do this. Leviticus 19:3 tells us we are to respect mothers and fathers and I would venture to say that includes all others that we might consider holding higher than Christ Himself. Respect but not worship.

I am the LORD.... If we stand firm in our acknowledgment of God...Christ...others will notice and God will be glorified. That's all that counts. Pharaoh and the Egyptians found that out all too clearly when, through Moses, God displayed His power in the plagues...and led Israel out of their captivity. God can display His power through us also in how we live our lives for Him. 

I wish I could name each and every accounting of who our LORD is. Maybe I will have to continue at some other time. You get the picture.

I am the LORD...period. Do you know this Man? This Man who was and is and is to come? This Man who was before all things were made? This Man who is God, the Father, God, the Son and God, the Holy Spirit, three yet One? This Man who came down from His throne, seated at the right hand of His Father, to live among us that He might be our LORD God? This Man who became our sin so we would not have to live in sin forever? This Man who lives and reigns for all eternity? Does this Man say "I am the LORD" in your life?

Jeremiah 9:24 - But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.

That I Should Heal Them

Matthew 13:11-12 - He [Jesus] answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 

Jesus was explaining to the disciples why He spoke in parables. He was explaining that because they were His followers, had accepted and received Him as the Son of God and believed in Him, to them was given the knowledge of the mysteries. These mysteries are the basic message that Jesus taught, that He was the Way, the Truth and the Life. Without Christ these truths He spoke were only mysteries. Without Him, without His life, one has death.

Those in Christ who are given this knowledge only receive more and their life is fulfilled. Those without will not receive and their life will only seem fulfilled in this world. God is all about life...in Christ. The world is all about death. Verse 11 above speaks of life, the message of Jesus...it has been given to you. The second part of verse 12 speaks of death...even what he has will be taken away. 

When we allow ourselves to be open to receiving Christ the mysteries begin to be revealed to us. I can't imagine not wanting to know a mystery. When we have received we are given more to chew on and digest...as well as share. When we show God our desire to hear and listen, He gives us more. That is life. 

I was part of a conversation one day last week where one of the women made the comment that she was so glad, so honored, to be given this knowledge and that it continues to come. It's not like someone has this knowledge all at once. It's given as we need it. We were all in agreement.

For those ears that do not want to receive, what is said may make some sense, but like Jesus' parables, the true meaning will be hidden. When we don't understand the message Jesus teaches on life, it is like death. We are dead to the things of God and to His wisdom. Life or death.

These things were prophesied long before Jesus came to earth. Isaiah knew there would always be scoffers. All Jesus desires is for all mankind to open their eyes and ears, receive Him...and be healed. That's what it means to be healed...to be in Christ.

It's all about coming in childlike faith, putting aside a mind that tries to figure God out with an intellectual thought process. Seek and He will be found. Let go of those ideas that cause ears and eyes to be deaf and blind. Let Jesus heal you of these two great afflictions.

There is not too much more that I can say that might convince anyone of this basic Jesus truth. If one seeks to know the truth, asks the Lord to show them what truth is, and hungers for the knowledge of His truth, I believe He will open up eyes and ears. He is more than happy to bring salvation and the spiritual healing He gives freely. Sometimes it is more than listening in church for this message. Sometimes it will happen when you close yourself in with God and ask. All it takes is an open mind and hear to accept Christ. I pray dull hearts would disappear, ears would be opened to understand. Jesus so desires to heal...with the truth of His Word.

Matthew 13:14-15 - And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: "Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them."