Mark 4:9

S Then Jesus said “He who has ears to hear let him hear.”

O Three times Jesus instructs them to hear what he’s saying. First he says “listen”, then He says “he who has ears to hear, let him hear”, and thirdly he says “if anyone has ears to hear let him hear”. All these are said in a very short period of time. Jesus really wanted them to hear what he was teaching because it was very important. He didn’t want them to just hear his words and forget; he wanted them to take it in, analyze it, see what’s beneath the surface, and own it.

A I have read this section of scripture a hundred times and always focused on the parable and never on the very direct instructions He gives before , during, and after. Listening comes on two levels, there is hearing the words someone is saying and acknowledging them as words, nothing more; And then there is hearing not just the words but also the unspoken heart and intent which lies beneath the surface. It’s seeing the invisible become visible. Jesus is asking for the later. Hearing Him say three times “listen!” is a reminder to me not to just hear the words of scripture but to grasp the heart and spirit of what’s being said. The Lord periodically gives me a verse to meditate on for a time, and a few years ago He gave me Psalm 119:18, which says “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law”. I have made this my prayer. I don’t want to just see the words on a page or hear them in my head, I want to see what He has hidden beneath the surface. I want to see deeper.

P Lord, I never want to just be reading your word to be reading. I want to see what I’ve never seen before and learn what you have yet to teach me. Open my eyes and ears to really see beyond the ink on the page. In Jesus name Amen

Love Jen

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