Listen and Understand

Read Proverbs 29

After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, Listen to Me, all of you, and understand, there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.  Mark 7:14-16  

Once again the disciples were clueless so Jesus clarified the parable that He told so they could understand it. …that which proceeds out of the man that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man. Mark 7: 20-23. That is pretty straight forward—the foods we eat goes through us and are eliminated from our bodies, but our thoughts, words and actions can make us unclean. To the Jews cleanliness was pretty important. The Pharisees and other Jews were continually focused on purification before eating, after shopping in the market, and before worshipping. They questioned Jesus since His disciples were not washing their hands before they ate. Today we know the importance of washing to remove germs, but during Jesus’ time, for the Jewish people it was a ritual that was bound up in tradition. 

Training Tip – Listen. Listen. Listen. Do you hear Jesus speaking? Do you have ears to hear? Jesus said that several times…ears to hear. Read these verses to your children. How can they have “ears to hear” unless someone reads the Bible to them? How can you hear God’s Word, unless you read it?

-          He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Matthew 11:15

-          And He was saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." ... "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." Mark 4:9, 23

-          If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. Mark 7:16

-          Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great. As He said these things, He would call out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Luke 8:8

-          It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Luke 14:35

Are you reading God’s Word every day? Are you listening for what He is telling you…are you praying? 

Lord God, You are a mighty God. Forgive me for not reading Your Word consistently. Thank you for showing me the importance of spending time with You, reading Your Word and praying. Help me be an example to my children and grandchildren that they would come to love you even more deeply than I do—and I love You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

© 2013 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.