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.
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