Date: Monday, 9th October, 2023
Text: Matthew 13:2-23
Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan
Exhortation:
When the Lord Jesus passes a major message across to His people, He would often say, “Let Him that has an ear, hear what the Spirit is saying.” What exactly does He mean?
It is one thing to have ears, it is another thing to have ears that hear. The ‘hearing’ Christ referred to was a deeper form of it called ‘listening’. Hearing is simply the act of perceiving sounds by the ear. If you are not hearing-impaired, hearing automatically happens. Listening, however, means to take notice of and act on what someone says; respond to advice or a request. It is something you consciously choose to do. Listening requires concentration and action.
It is possible to hear but not listen. Listening is linked with understanding. Jesus said, many have the power of hearing but do not hear, neither do they understand and grasp spiritual things. Matthew 13:13b.
In the Parable of the Sower, those that heard the word but did not understand lost it because the devil stole the word away from their hearts. The message ended making no impact in their lives.
But those with listening ears opened up their hearts to receive the word, they were intentional in ensuring the word took root in them and they persevered when the attendant challenges came; they were focused and did not give room for worldly distractions. They patiently endured the growth process and therefore, the word bore fruit in their hearts, some hundred, some sixty and some thirty times what was sown.
Prophetic Nugget: May the Lord grant you ears that hear in Jesus name.