Eyes to See, Ears to Hear
One of my biggest pet peeves is not feeling listened to.
I can detect it very quickly in a conversation. The other person hears what I say. But their responses reveal a clear lack of understanding, or a desire to try. They are waiting for their next turn to speak. The conversation begins to feel like an empty exchange of words in which I am not being seen nor heard.
No one experienced that irritation like Jesus during His life on earth. Throughout the gospels, we see His attempts to reach His people. The religious elites, blinded by their own traditions, failed to decode His parables. Even the disciples, in all their attentiveness to Jesus, would often miss the meaning behind His words.
All of this culminates in Sunday’s passage, Mark 8:14-21.
Jesus has just been challenged by the Pharisees to prove Himself by performing miracles on their terms. Jesus refuses to play their game. (11-13)
Then, He meets the Disciples in the boat. As He tries to warn them of the impurity in their society - using the symbol of yeast in bread - they are too busy arguing over their lack of food to hear Him (14-16). Jesus responds in 17-19:
“Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”
After they answer, “Twelve”, He asks the same of the similar feeding of the four thousand (“Seven”), concluding by challenging their understanding a second time. (19b-21)
The Disciples had seen the miracles. They had heard Jesus’ words. But in a moment of distraction (by their physical hunger), they had missed the big picture. They had missed the meaning behind the words, the reason for the miracles. The God of the universe was in their midst, establishing His authority on earth, and they had momentarily forgotten.
When I reflect on this exchange, I realize how often I make the same mistake in my own life. My daily conquests and the obstacles within them become the most pressing issues in my perception. My conversations with God start to involve more talking and less listening. I momentarily forget the most basic truths of God’s infinite omniscience, sovereignty, and love for me. I forget whose voice it is I need to hear. The cycle repeats.
Sometimes we need to slow down and open our eyes and ears.
Maybe you’re concerned with a romantic relationship, while God is concerned with your relationship with Him.
Maybe you’re concerned with a career opportunity, while God is concerned with your ministry.
To open our eyes and ears is to look beyond what we know and seek to see our situation through God’s lens instead of our own. This requires surrender. It is easy, when going to God in prayer, to merely list problems and propose solutions. What if instead, we started by asking Him what’s on His mind?
Why might God be keeping this particular door shut?
What has God been up to in my life, and what might He be trying to tell me through it?
Where does God want me to direct my focus as I seek to serve Him and His Kingdom?
What are you distracted by right now? What is hindering you from hearing from God? What truth about His character are you forgetting?
Today, let’s ask God for eyes to see and ears to hear.
~ Jared Grenfell and his wife Grace have have been active members of the LIFE Fellowship community for several years. Jared has served in various roles on the LIFE Worship team including Music Director.