He who has ears, let him hear

After Jesus tells the parable of the sower, He says those words.

“He who has ears, let him hear.”

I’ve often thought this a very strange saying.

Wouldn’t most of the people hearing Him speak have ears and in so having ears wouldn’t they have already heard what He said?

But I realized while reading it this time that it doesn’t have anything to do with having real human ears.

It has to do with have spiritual ears and having them open to hear the things that God is trying to say to you.

After Jesus says this, His disciples pull off to the side and ask Him why he speaks in parables and doesn’t just come out and say what He is trying to tell the people.

But Jesus quotes from Isaiah where God is telling Isaiah that the people have closed off their eyes and ears and are no longer able to hear what God is trying to tell them.

I pray that God would open our eyes to see and our ears to hear. That He would help us to understand the things He is trying to tell us and that we might return to Him.

Lord I pray that you would heal us.

Heal us of our unfaithfulness.

Our brokenness.

That You might be glorified in all of the things that we do in your name.