The Living Word: A Daily Devotional with Jeff & Dale from The Jenkins Institute
The Living Word is a daily devotional featuring Scripture and encouragement from Jeff and Dale of The Jenkins Institute. Each episode offers a thoughtful reading to coincide with the daily devotional guides from our annual devotional books. They are designed to help listeners begin or end their day grounded in God’s Word.
The Living Word: A Daily Devotional with Jeff & Dale from The Jenkins Institute
Week 26: Wednesday, Listening Well
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Welcome to Hearing God's Stories, a daily devotional on the parables presented by the Jenkins Institute. Week 26, Wednesday, listening now.
SPEAKER_01Mark chapter 4, verses 21 through 25 by Travis Bookout, and I am Andy King. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. And he said to them, Pay attention to what you hear. Mark chapter 4, verses 23 and 24. In Mark chapter 4, Jesus says quite a bit about hearing from Mark chapter 4, verse 3 through verse 33. This word may be translated as hear or listen, but it's the same word, in fact, Jesus calls twice for those who have ears to hear. Mark chapter 4, verse 9, and verse 23. I'm assuming most of those around Jesus had ears. Yet it is one thing to hear the words of Jesus and quite another to understand, accept, trust, and obey them. Jesus is calling his disciples not only to hear, but to be good and fruitful hearers. The first parable in Mark chapter 4 is the parable of the sower. Jesus describes four kinds of soils that receive the seed. Only one of them produces fruit. The parable reminds us that not everyone who hears accepts Jesus' words and produces good fruit. One of the purposes of Jesus' parables was to weed out those who are bad hearers. This represents a radical departure from the typical use of parables. Parables usually help people understand a message. Jesus uses them for the opposite purpose. Jesus says, For those outside everything is in parables, so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven. Mark chapter 4, verses eleven and twelve. Notice, Jesus speaks in parables to keep people from seeing and hearing. That is so odd. It sounds so un Jesus like. Why would he do this? Remember, the secret things will eventually be made known. Mark chapter 4, verse 22. But during his ministry, Jesus was calling for good hearers. This is why he commands his disciples to hear and understand. He wants them to pay attention to what you hear. Mark chapter 4, verse 24. Or literally, see what you hear. Open your eyes, open your ears, and be fruitful, productive here of the message of Jesus. Today, I will listen faithfully to the Word of God.
SPEAKER_00Thank you for joining us.