envelop spinner search close plus arrow-right arrow-left facebook twitter

Matthew 12:22-13:23 Eyes and Ears

by fol CHURCH on November 18, 2019

Sometimes I find myself wondering why the passages set in the lectionary and these passages for our Bible notes stop and start in the places they do. That does not always make sense to me. Today, however, I am interested in the fact that this passage begins with Jesus healing a man who had lost the use of two of his senses: his sight and speech. The second part of the passage is concerned with having eyes to see and ears to hear (two of our senses) when it comes to the Word of God.

We have been reading over the past few days, particularly, of Jesus’ on-going battle with the religious leaders of the day and their increasing opposition which we know will ultimately lead to Jesus’ arrest and death. Jesus puts it plainly: “Whoever is not with me is against me and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (12:30). In the parable of the sower he graphically describes the fate of those who don’t use their senses as far as they are able to perceive what it is that they are being taught. Sometimes we allow a message from God to be snatched away from us, maybe because the message does not sit totally comfortably with us or we are not ready to be led in a particular direction. Other times we hear what God is saying and the course of our lives changes to begin with but if the word has not been stored deep within, any trouble or opposition will cause us to revert to our previous state. Sometimes we receive a word but we get lured away by those things we regard (if we are honest about it) more highly than God. Those things which can be more important to us, those sins which come back on occasions and manage to snare us again.

So, how can we understand more of what it is that God requires of us? How can we become more fruitful in our every day living of the Christian life?

When the temptations come, we can talk about our difficulties with a trusted Christian friend. We all fail at points on the journey. I fail all the time! Is there someone you pray with regularly who can help you to see how to get back to good soil? Is there someone in church you can speak with? Have you tried journaling how God is moving in your life and looking for patterns of success and failure?

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Which sort of soil are you in at present? Spend some time doing a bit of a spiritual audit. Speak to the Lord about what you have discovered

return to Through The Bible