Matthew 13:14-15
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For 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.’
I stumbled upon this gem today as I read through Matthew 13. The chapter starts with Jesus resting on the lake shore. As crowds of people start to surround Him, He hops into a nearby boat and drifts away from the shoreline. I imagine that space as a Holy moment between Him and the Father. As I reflect on what Jesus might have been feeling in this moment I imagine a space where His human anxiety is tended to, where He rests in the knowledge that He is the Father’s beloved, and is being filled with a wealth of grace for those who have followed Him to this place. (My own breath deepens as I enter into this space in my own ministry journey alongside the Trinity)
After Jesus receives what He needs from the Father to continue His ministry, He comes back to the shore and spends the day teaching through various parables. If you’re anything like me and find that parables can be a bit confusing at times, we are not alone. Those who were in the physical presence of Jesus even questioned the meaning to His method. Why speak in stories? Jesus relieves that not all people will know and understand His Way. Which then brings us to Matthew 13: 14-15. Jesus quotes Isaiah and affirms that a prophecy is being fulfilled in the very midst of the crowd.
Matthew 13:14-15
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For 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.’
I have followed Christ for 20 years. Even having 20 years “under my belt”, there are still ideas and perspectives I don’t understand and carry judgement towards. There are still sights I see that I don’t digest with grace and there are still many pockets of my heart that have grown calloused. Though I often feel defeated in my affliction as I tend to this reality, I am also humbly reminded of how the beginning of the chapter starts. With the Father tending to Jesus in a quiet place; a place that is peaceful, safe, and away. In these 20 years I have embraced the value of “coming away”. The invitation humbly tunes us to the Father’s ears, eyes, and heart. What are we not hearing? What are we not seeing? Where have our hearts grown bitter?
Father,
I pray for ears that hear of Your goodness, discern Your truth, and void out lies.
I pray for eyes to see both beauty and brokenness. Gently reveal my part in each.
I pray for a heart that is understanding and open to receiving your boundless love for myself and others. Would you tend to each resistant pocket of pain, sorrow, and fear that resides deep inside me? May each be replaced with grace, courage, and healing.
Amen.
I believe that the tuning of our hearts with the Trinity is what draws us into a posture to receive true healing. When our ears are eagerly listening, when our eyes are constantly seeking, and when our hearts are ripe and willing. Perhaps this is that “rich soil” Jesus is referring to a few verses earlier.