Jan 3 - Promises Fulfilled

Read Matthew 13:10-17

Context: Jesus has had a long day. He has argued truth with Pharisees, healed many who were sick, handicapped, and demon-possessed. He left the house where he had been speaking (probably Peter's home), and went to sit by the lake. So many people gathered around that he had to get into a boat on the lake to speak to them. At the point of our passage today, he has just finished telling the parable of the sower (where seed falls on many different kinds of ground). He explains this passage immediately after today's reading.

Text:
10The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"
11He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'[a] 16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. (NIV)

Footnotes:
Matthew 13:15 Isaiah 6:9,10
taken from www.biblegateway.com

Sometimes I think there are so many things for us to listen to that we often don't listen to anything effectively. Have you ever been watching TV and had been unable to tell someone what is going on in the show because you were zoned out? Have your kids ever asked for something, you said 'yes' and then wondered what you had approved? Do you forget what your spouse said, or even that something was said?

Our heads are so full of worry, news, trivia, and to-do lists that we seldom really notice what is going on around us. Today I challenge you to look for God's voice in your surroundings, and to really stop and listen to what others are saying, too.