A Hearing Problem

1Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities. 2And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he asent two of his disciples 3and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” 4Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5“The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6“And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” 7As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8“But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9“But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10“For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ 11“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13“For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14“And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15“He who has ears to hear, let him hear! 16“But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17“and saying: ‘We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not blament.’ 18“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her dchildren.”
Matthew 11: 1 - 19 NKJV

A good friend of mine made a interesting observation this week.  It certainly got me thinking that we christians may have a hearing problem on our hands.  Or, perhaps it is simply an issue with our understanding of what is said.  Whatever our issue is, it certainly prompted Jesus in Matthew 11:15 to proclaim to the multitudes, "He who has ears, let him hear!"  Did these people of Jesus' day have trouble hearing?  Perhaps.  However, I would rather suggest that they had issues with understanding that which Jesus was proclaiming.  I think that Jesus nailed it on the head when He said, "Blessed is he who not offended because of me!"  How many times have we found ourselves in a conversation about Christ Jesus and wound up feeling that we shouldn't say too much because we may be offending their beliefs?  I know I have.  Friends, this IS NOT the gospel of Christ Jesus!  On the contrary, it is simply a watered down version of something which doesn't need to be.  So, has our hearing problem suddenly become a speaking problem?  Some might say that this is much more the case.  For in our politicaly correct society it has become increasingly difficult to speak the truth concerning Jesus.  What is it that we are afraid of?  Is the judgement of men more powerful than the word of Christ?  Absolutely not!  Yet we all too often tiptoe around the truth of Jesus for fear that we may alienate them forever.  Well, as Jesus Himself said, "He who has ear, let him hear!"

41The Jews then gcomplained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. 44“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45“It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who ihas heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. 46“Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 48“I am the bread of life. 49“Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50“This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51“I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” 52The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” 53Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54“Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55“For My flesh is kfood indeed, and My blood is ldrink indeed. 56“He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57“As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58“This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” 59These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. 60Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a mhard saying; who can understand it?” 61When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples ncomplained about this, He said to them, “Does this ooffend 62“What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64“But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” 66From that time many of His disciples went pback and walked with Him no more. 67Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” 68But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69“Also we have come to believe and know that You are the qChrist, the Son of the living God.” 70Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” 71He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.
John 6: 41 - 71 NKJV

Again, late in John 6, we see those who were offended by the words of Jesus.  Throughout the new testament this seems to be a recurring theme.  Was Jesus proclaiming some sort of blasphemy in His teachings?  Well, to the religious leaders of His day He most certainly was.  For the message which Jesus spoke ran contrary to the message of the law which was delivered by the Jewish leaders of the day.  We find exaples of this in Jesus' interactions with the woman found in adultry, the woman He met at the well and Zacchaeus the tax collector.  His message was clear, although not compreheneded by many at the time, that Jesus had come not only to fulfill the law, but to call His people back to Him.

27After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” 28So he left all, rose up, and followed Him. 29Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. 30And their scribes and the Pharisees ecomplained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Luke 5: 27 - 32 NKJV

The Jewish authorities were livid that this man who proclaimed to be the Messiah would keep company with such men as tax collectors and sinners.  They heard His words and yet they did not understand.  It is the same way today when the truth of Christ Jesus within us is not shouted from the rooftops from the pupits {Galations 2:20}.  Many hear, but fewer still do not understand.  This is not a hearing problem, but an issue of our own acceptance of what is presented to us.  As Jesus Himself said, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

~Scott~