A Reflection On Listening To God

When I need to be open to Jesus’ teachings

Jesus uses the statement “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand” multiple times in the Gospels and Revelation. It’s clear that Jesus knows that some will be ready to receive His message enthusiastically. And with that clear expectation comes the negative implication: some will not. There are stubborn hearts in this world, people “without ears,” those who will not open themselves to the possibility of the truth of the gospel.

Rebellious souls cannot hear the words of Jesus—really hear them—until they recognize and acknowledge their own insufficiency. Even as believers, we must always be aware of our need for God. We need to be on guard against our natural gravitation toward rebellion and its inevitable result—deafness.

Jesus almost always uses this phrase after a difficult message. His hard teachings are often a stumbling block, but we can use them as a true test of the openness of our hearts. When Jesus’ words grate against our natural inclinations, we must ask ourselves, “Do I have ears to hear?” How we respond will indicate the condition of our hearts.

Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.

Luke 8:8