Mark 7:31–37 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man. After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Last week I went to see an audiologist. I had gone to one about five years ago who told me I had a slight loss of hearing in my right ear. She fitted me with a hearing aid which I tried for a few weeks. The main thing I was having trouble hearing was my wife, and the hearing aid did not change that, so I took it back. At my dear bride’s urging I agreed to have my ears checked again. I went to a different audiologist this time, the one I had taken my mother to see. The results were the same. She said my loss was only in the right ear, and it was so small that she would not recommend any hearing aids. She told Cheryl to speak louder, not say things when she was walking away or in another room. She told me to pay attention when Cheryl was speaking. We are both working on those things.

The audiologist had me follow up with an Ear, Nose and Throat guy, who told me my right eardrum was pulled in and sticking to some of the stuff in the middle ear. This was the result of me having had that eardrum rupture several times in my life, and there was not anything that could be done to change it. He gave the same advice: listen closely and encourage my wife to speak louder.

I think that was pretty sound advice (no pun intended). Scripture warns about those who are not paying attention when God speaks.

Hebrews 5:11 (ESV) About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

Matthew 13:14–15  In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 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.’

Matthew, Mark and Acts all quote this passage from Isaiah 6:9. There will always be people who are not hearing what God has to say. As a result, they are missing out on the free gift of forgiveness and life and salvation that Jesus earned for everyone.

What can be done? The answer is twofold. Those of us who have this Good News in our lives have been entrusted with the task of sharing it. We need to make sure we are speaking it loudly and clearly so others can hear and understand what we are saying. That means we need to share the whole counsel of God. Too often, Christians come across as mean-spirited and condemning because they focus only on the Law, telling people how sinful they are. The Law must be shared, but it must be coupled with the Good News of what Jesus did for our forgiveness. This Gospel message needs to predominate in our speaking. It must be shared clearly.

The second part of the answer is that others need to pay attention and listen carefully to what we share. That is when the Holy Spirit will do His thing and work in their hearts so that they can see and hear and understand and believe.

Lord, help us to speak your Word clearly and enable those who need to hear it to pay attention. Amen.