Mark 4:24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given
Are there things in your life that just do not make sense to you? You experience or hear something and say, “I just don’t see that” or “It just doesn’t make sense to me.” That is to say, you take something you have heard and you measure that up against your experience and senses and you think, “That does not measure up to my senses. It does not make sense with what I have seen to be true according to my senses.”
In Mark 4 Jesus is talking about those who understand and those who do not understand. One thing you learn from Mark 4 is that sometimes the biggest truths are beyond our senses. Just because something does not make sense to me does not mean it is not true. I think we should be people who are sensible and who study God’s Word, but to think that I can verify everything that is true by my senses and my experience is very shortsighted indeed.
In Mark 4 Jesus says twice, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” He means that there is a difference between having ears and hearing. There is a difference between listening, having sound come into my brain, and hearing, apprehending or holding what I am hearing. I have friends who have ears, but they cannot hear. I have friends who have eyes, but they cannot see. That, of course, is possible. It is possible not just physically, but also in things more important spiritually, your relationship with God. Jesus said, “There is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested.” So, the hidden things belong to God, but what He has revealed are the things we should search the Scriptures to find out.
In verse 24 Jesus says, “Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.” You are going to reap what you sow. If I am listening to the truth, then I will apprehend and understand it. If I have a heart to hear, then I will have a mind to understand. He says, “If I don’t apprehend what comes into my ears, if I ignore God’s truth, the little I have will be taken. But, if I act on what I know to be true, then the result of that is that God will give me more.
He says, “Take heed what ye hear.” That is what He is talking about. He is saying, “Apprehend, get ahold of what you are hearing. Pay attention. Have a heart to hear. Heed what you hear.” He is actually talking about two different senses. Heed means “to look at or discern.” Literally He is saying, “See what you hear.” That is not a bad idea for us today. When you read something in the Bible, when God gives you truth, don’t just let it go in one ear and out the other. See what you hear. It is a decision.
In verses 22-23 we are reminded that if you have an ear, then hear. I recently went to the Kennedy Space Center and my mind was just blown by just how infinite space is. Most of it goes beyond my senses, it doesn’t reflect anything I have personally experienced in my own senses on this planet. For example, I have never experienced zero gravity. So, see what you hear. Apprehending what you hear from God is a decision, and it is a decision that is justified.
In verse 34 the Bible says, “But without a parable spake he [Jesus] not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.” So, He told the parables, which some people heard but didn’t grab ahold of, but later He expounded these things for His disciples. Expounded means “to solve, explain, or untie.” It is like receiving a present that is all wrapped up with lots of tape and maybe twine and you have a hard time getting to it. After some work you may unwrap or untie the gift to see what is inside.
You can know everything you must know to succeed in life and to honor God. Do you know everything? No. Do you understand everything? No. Are some things a little bit of a parable to you right now? Maybe so. But, when I have a heart to hear, I will have a mind to understand.
Today, when it comes to God’s truth, see what you hear.