Hearing and Understanding

August 14

(Luke 18:33-34 NIV) “On the third day he will rise again.” {34} The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.”

(Deuteronomy 29:4 NIV) “But to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear.”

(Matthew 13:13-16 NIV) “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. {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.’ {16} But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.” 

Christ spoke of His death, but He also spoke of His resurrection. But the disciples seemed oblivious. They didn’t get it. It went over their heads. They could not comprehend. Luke says, “Its meaning was hidden from them.” As we say today, “It did not compute.” The words of Jesus were so foreign to their understanding of the Messiah’s mission, that they just could not take it in. A flawed concept of God will always do this. Bad theology produces fantasy gods… gods that behave pretty much like we think they should. Eventually, the disciples would “get it”. Their thinking about Jesus would change, and that would change how they looked at life and death. Today, some will understand, and some won’t. Some will hear, and some won’t. If you heard and understood the gospel, you are privileged. The Lord has unstopped your ears and given you a heart to understand. Praise God! -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day