The Ears that Hear Kingdom Secrets

And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand’” (Luke 8:4-10).

Once again Jesus provoked the crowd of followers to take a step of faith, away from the crowd and closer to Him to become a disciple. This time the challenge came in the form of a parable. Jesus was going to explain the meaning of the parable, but not to everyone. The parable itself provoked self-reflection in the minds of His listeners. His declaration, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” was meant to stir their hearts to action too. What did the Rabbi mean by this statement? Everyone in the crowd had ears! Surely everyone heard His words. Only His true disciples sought the truth behind the parable. Before answering their question, Jesus revealed the truth that not everyone who hears the Word of God will discern the truth of God. The disciples’ eagerness to discover the meaning of Jesus’ parables teaches us that diligent disciples in every age have the ears that hear kingdom secrets.

Diligent disciples have ears that are sensitive to God’s Word. Even though the crowds grew bigger and bigger, for true disciples the increasing hustle and bustle in the crowd of followers could not drown out the words spoken by the Master. True disciples have ears that reveal where their hearts and minds are set… “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). The everyday busyness of life, work, and ministry does not deter true disciples’ longing to know the heaven-revealing kingdom secrets hidden in God’s Word.

Diligent disciples have ears that are stimulated by God’s Word. The disciples heard the same parable that everyone else did, but they were moved to ask for more. Upon hearing God’s Word, the Holy Spirit prompts Spirit-filled truth seekers to dig deeper because He wants to reveal the truth hidden in the Word of the Father that will glorify the Son in the life of His disciples…  “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:13-15). Diligent study of the scriptures creates and sustains an increasing hunger in true disciples for the Christ-glorifying kingdom secrets in every word.

Diligent disciples have ears that are satisfied by God’s Word. The disciples that sought the meaning of the parable received it and much more. Jesus would soon reinforce this truth with a promise that diligent truth seekers that dig deeper and deeper into His truth will be rewarded with rich spiritual revelation… “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given” (Luke 8:17-18). Jesus exhorted His disciples to discover and share the secrets of the kingdom with others that might have ears to hear… “For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:22-23). An increasing understanding of soul-saving kingdom secrets and a growing desire to share them with the lost are evidences that we are truly born again, maturing, and productive disciples.

As we grow up into Christ we seek and share more of God’s truth because He’s given us…

The Ears that Hear Kingdom Secrets.