27. Soils 1

[Pastor Ralph]

Please share your thoughts on one or more of the questions in this lesson. 

[Katy]

Q1.Jesus is saying “He who has ears to hear let him hear! because He wants His listeners to sit up and take notice of what Jesus is saying, not to hear, dismiss and turn away! Jesus wants the people to hear understand, and act. However it takes honesty and humility to do this and a lot of people turn away when they are challenged by Jesus.

Q2. Jesus sometimes spoke in parables, which are stories to illustrate the point He was making. Jesus sometimes used illustrations that were familiar to his listeners, this made His illustration easier to follow and understand. Sometimes people were following Jesus as spectators they weren’t interested in His teaching, they just wanted to see what was going on and nothing more. No interest in hear what was really being said by Jesus. No interest in finding out the reasons why Jesus preached and healed people, they were only there out of idle curiosity! They heard what Jesus said but did not try to understand or seek after it’s true meaning.

Q3.When people turn away from the gospel without making any commitment they can become immune to it and their hearts become hard. In future they refuse to listen and don’t want to have anything to do with the things of God. This is the effect of living in a fallen world. It is a consolation to us to know that this happened even when Jesus was preaching, some people hardened their hearts and walked away. 
Q4. I have this situation in my own family. I don’t say very much out loud anymore but I pray and plead with God for their souls and I try to live my life in such a way that it brings glory to God. Hopefully it may at some stage speak to my family even after my death, if not before. 

[Irmela]

Why do you think Jesus called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear?" What was he getting at?

There were many people in that crowd. Some just to be part of the excitement and to be able to say that they heard Him speak. All of them had ears, though. Not all had ears to hear and it was to those in the category that had the hearing ears that Jesus was speaking to. Jesus was pointing out that there were different types of hearers. 

How could people listen to Jesus, but not really understand what he was saying?

The people that had determined in their hearts that Jesus was a fraud, did not listen or hear with understanding. They hardened their hearts to anything that Jesus said. The more they heard Him the less they actually took in. 

In what way does Jesus' teaching harden people's hearts?

When people do not want to hear or accept the truth (even though they feel convicted), they block out what is convicting them. Then whenever  that same or similar talk, i. e. Jesus' teaching, comes up they just refuse to listen, thereby hardening their hearts. 

Is there any way that we can assist those with hardened hearts? If so, what can we do?

I guess we can only live by example. Talking will be futile. Praying and praying and pleading to God for their souls to be saved, for hearts of stone to be replaced with hearts of flesh. Don't give up!!!!! 

[hanks]

1. Why do you think Jesus called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear?" What was He getting at?

We hear many sounds, and when Jesus says, “He who has ears, let him hear,” He knew that most people would audibly hear His teaching, but it will not pierce their understanding or their hearts. He spoke in parables and unlike a simple analogy they demanded an explanation. This is the reason Jesus makes this distinction here between those who hear and those who don’t hear. Jesus was talking about believers who have an ability to hear, to understand, and to embrace the truth - they have ears to hear. They understood the parables, but to others these were only stories without any spiritual meaning at all.

[hanks]

2. How could people listen to Jesus, but not really understand what He was saying?

People would listen but not really understand, perhaps because they were not concentrating or their thoughts were elsewhere. They may have had a preconceived idea of how the Messiah would be, and our Lord in His gentle teaching did not fit this image at all. Or, they were not part of God’s elect and the meaning was concealed from them. The teachings of Jesus was hidden from unbelievers and revealed only to believers, and without an explanation, a parable can be nothing more than a meaningless story.  God had spoken, but they didn’t listen and now judgment had fallen on Israel and that judgment is seen in the fact that they can no longer understand their own Messiah. God was judging them for their rebellion, their apostasy, their unbelief, and their idolatry. Jesus came not only to instruct and to help people understand the kingdom of God, He came also as a judgment on those who don’t want to hear the truth. In Isaiah 6:9, God told Isaiah that people would listen without learning or understanding his message, and this is the reaction that confronted Jesus. In Mark 4:10-12 we read about when Jesus was alone with the twelve apostles, they asked Him about these parables, and He answered that they had been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for others everything is just a story. These people will look and look, but never see. They will listen and listen, but never understand. Only if they repent and turn to God would He forgive them and only then could they understand.

[hanks]

3. In what way does Jesus' teaching harden people's hearts?

Historically we saw what happened to the people of Israel who rejected God. Their eyes were blinded, their hearts became hardened beyond repentance, and God then loses patience with their rebellion and He abandons them to Assyria and Babylon. Most would not repent, but a few, the remnant, would listen and turn from their sins, and believe. This happened in Isaiah’s time hundreds of years before Jesus’ coming to earth. Those who reject Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God, the gospel of salvation are never going to know divine truth, and their spiritual blindness and hardened hearts will be compounded deeper by rejection and even deeper by divine judgment. History repeats itself, and as a result of the people of Israel's stubborn and wilful rejection of the Messiah, they cut themselves off from sight, healing, conversion, and understanding. Here again, He did not do this at first, but only after they had closed their eyes and hardened their own hearts. Sin, guilt, forgiveness, redemption, salvation, righteousness, and eternal life are foolishness, meaningless, and irrelevant to these people. They are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned – they lack the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit to enlighten their understanding.

[hanks]

4. Is there any way that we can assist those with hardened hearts? If so, what can we do?

We have been told to present the gospel to all, even to go to the ends of the earth with the gospel. We are to tell all about the wonderful story of salvation. Even those with hardened hearts who cannot understand spiritual truths, or the concept that God's Spirit lives in believers. So, we mustn’t expect most people to approve of or understand our decision to follow Christ – this is all foolishness to them. We must not remain silent, however, using others' difficulty in understanding as an excuse not to try and bring them to salvation. We are to persevere and be alert to opportunities, and leaving the Holy Spirit to His work of redemption. We must continue to pray earnestly for their salvation. Our job is plain and simple - bring the gospel to people so that they can believe and be saved. One never knows whether they are one of the elect, and need to hear the gospel and will then repent and put their faith in Christ. If they ask questions, this may be evidence that God's Spirit is drawing them to make a decision. On the other hand, Jesus says it is futile to try to teach holy concepts to people who don't want to listen and will only tear apart what we say. We should not stop giving God's Word to unbelievers, but we should be wise and discerning in our witnessing, so that we will not be wasting our time. There are those who don’t want to hear, who reject His Word totally. There will always be those people that are hard-hearted and the stiff-necked, who are resolute and rigid in their indifference, disinterested and lovers of sin. 

[haar]

1.    Why do you think Jesus called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear?" What was he getting at?

Jesus knew very well that  His audience all had ears but not everyone actually listened to Him with the aim to really  hear, understand and obey.  But there are some who really have the  interest to hear, know and obey. Thus he challenged the willing group to hear and obey.

2.    How could people listen to Jesus, but not really understand what he was saying?

When they are not really keen in applying the knowledge from listening, hearing and understanding. 

3.    In what way does Jesus' teaching harden people's hearts?

To my mind, this is true regarding those who have already set their hearts against Him and His teaching and thus are more set to reject whatever He says.

4.    Is there any way that we can assist those with hardened hearts? If so, what can we do?

By praying to God to break the stony hearts and bring such people to repentance and acceptance of the Lord as Saviour.

[Old Jerry]

Why do you think Jesus called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear?" What was he getting at?

 

A. Jesus was trying to get the people to pay attention to what he was saying. He knew that they could hear but were they paying attention.

 

How could people listen to Jesus, but not really understand what he was saying?

 

A. Again they were not paying attention to what he was saying. Their minds were drifting off to some other thing.

 

In what way does Jesus' teaching harden people's hearts?

 

A. The way that Jesus’ teaching was hardening people’s hearts is that they were hearing things that they didn’t want to hear and therefore rejected what he was saying.

 

Is there any way that we can assist those with hardened hearts? If so, what can we do?

 

A. I don’t think that there is a way to assist those with hardened hearts. They have heard the truth and rejected it. Maybe we can keep repeating the truth and maybe have a break through. But it is only God that will be able to have a true break through.

[kreilly]

In what way does Jesus' teaching harden people's hearts?

Jesus' teaching was so radically different from anything the people had heard, that some had a difficult time accepting it.  People get stuck in their thinking and don't want to change or listen, even when they hear the truth. 

Is there any way that we can assist those with hardened hearts? If so, what can we do?

When you look at what Jesus did, He didn't just teach.  He fed and healed people emotionally and physically.  He loved people.  He didn't just heal people to demonstrate that He was the Messiah, he healed people because he loved them and cared about them.  We need to follow in His footsteps because loving and caring for others opens the door for the Gospel to be shared.  As was mentioned earlier, everything should be covered in prayer, as Jesus modeled, also. 

[Nandita]

2. How could people listen to Jesus, but not really understand what he was saying?

Firstly because what Jesus was teaching them was probably radical and completely outside their current sphere of understanding. Secondly because they'd only heard the message at that point—they hadn't yet had the chance to reflect upon it. And thirdly because some of their hearts may have been hardened by a repeated refusal to accept God's will.

[Bailey]

Bailey  Greetings 7/24/27

How could people listen to Jesus, but not really understand what he was saying? Many of Jesus' teachings if not all where about the kingdom of God, lessons taught, but are people really in listening with an open mind and heart.  Are they really willing to receive what is being taught?  Sometimes people block out what is being said, not receiving the true message.  They may lack the need or hunger to be feed the word of Jesus.  Does one ask,what did I get from this message.

[Nana Karlsson]

For most people, Jesus preaching hardened their hearts and these are the fallen mankind who do not want change and so will not embrace the truth of the gospel that points out sin and calls for repentance.

What we can do for those who hardened their hearts is to pray and plead to the father constantly for the salvation of their souls.

 

[Godswriter]

1. Why do you think Jesus called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear?" What was he getting at?

He was speaking about the people whose hearts were not hardened by the hearing of the Word of God. These were thewe  only ones who truly understood His later parables about the Kingdom of God. 

2.    How could people listen to Jesus, but not really understand what he was saying?

They could hear but be spiritually blind to the truth.

3.    In what way does Jesus' teaching harden people's hearts?

If they didn't want to hear about sin and how their efforts to remain free from it were in vain they would reject the truth and in doing so harden their hearts.

4.    Is there any way that we can assist those with hardened hearts? If so, what can we do?

Every time we choose to witness we need to pray for the right opportunity to do so with someone. We also model the character of Christ and  remember that everything He did was done with compassion.

[George L]

1. Why do you think Jesus called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear?" What was he getting at? I am reminded to listen to the intent of what the speaker intends, and not be listening so I may interject my own thoughts and meaning. The pharisees began desiring to understand his teaching and then his amazing power with the people. Soon they understood the plain truth that they had no such power from God. And that proof was indeed a worldly threat to them.
2. How could people listen to Jesus, but not really understand what he was saying? The ear filter is often quite selective for the self motives, good for me. Openness to new information can be seriously revolutionary to your very way of life and values.
3. In what way does Jesus' teaching harden people's hearts? If you decide not to hear, repetition is like work hardening metal. Increased resistance to flexing. Surely Jesus ministration to the poor and steady supply to his growing following demonstrated continuing blessings while the pharisees had no such supply.
4. Is there any way that we can assist those with hardened hearts? If so, what can we do? Heaping coals upon their heads is a work of loving soft speech words not attacks on their stone walls. Holy Spirit guidance required both in words and in quantity. Proper dosage just as prescription medicine.