GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 4:9
Hear!
More than ever before, we are surrounded by sound waves—radio waves, TV waves, Bluetooth waves, WI-FI waves, etc. It’s uncertain what being bombarded with all these signals means to an individual. But most of these signals are inaudible unless one has the equipment to listen—a radio, a router, a television, or a Bluetooth device. Cellular phones have a signal strength indicator, usually a series of tiny bars. The more bars, the stronger the signal. If the signal is not strong, there are signal booster devices, one can move to a different location, check if the provider is down, turn the device off for a few seconds, update the operating system, or, if all else fails, purchase a new phone. It’s usually important to hear the message.
After Jesus concluded his parable of the farmer who was sowing seeds, “And he said, ‘Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.’” (Mark 4:9) In this instance, Jesus was not talking about the two appendages sticking out from the side of the head, for everyone in his audience had those. No, he was talking about ears of a special kind, ears that heard the message within the parable. The word Mark used here for “hear” is in the imperative mood; it was not a request. Rendered more literally, this statement might be, “If you have ears, hear!”
A husband handed his wife a bouquet with the attached card: “Always Look Over Vulnerable Elephants.” She threw her arms around him, for she got his message—the first letters spell “LOVE.” A hostess said to her guest, “I hope you enjoy your dinner. You always have great taste.” The “great taste” referred not just to food but to their ability to pick hospitable friends.
Jesus’ command still applies—whoever has ears to hear, hear!
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