Until these past few weeks, these words, although said several times by Jesus, didn’t mean as much to me. Jesus would tell a parable or a truth and then say “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”” Matthew 13:9
This was meant as a call to pay attention and let the truth Jesus was teaching to penetrate the heart of the hearer/reader.
Over the past few weeks, I have experienced some unsettling and worrisome hearing loss. I woke up Sunday morning, October 9 with incredible pressure in my left ear, a roaring sound, and inability to hear anything in that ear. For three weeks now I have been spatially confused, deaf in the left ear, and frustrated by not hearing people around me. I have been to two different specialists and have had three hearing tests that show that I am unable to hear and process mid and low level frequencies. Apparently, my cochlea can’t process the sounds in those frequencies. I have experienced severe vertigo and much hearing loss.
Twice now I have received a shot of steroids into the inner ear. It’s like grabbing a live wire while being drowned. The inner ear filled with liquid is a bizarre sensation that affects my emotional state. Both times I got the shot, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of depression and anxiety. This passed after 20 or so minutes.
My family, church, and friends have been praying that God would heal, restore, and repair my ear damage. I have been asking myself how to live a future without hearing and I really don’t have an answer. While doing a devotional one morning, I read some words by Rick Warren that reminded me of the temporary nature of this life:
“Even if it is a lifelong chronic problem, you won’t take it into eternity.” Rick Warren
This gives me hope!
When Jesus was talking about ears and hearing, He meant more than the actual sounds that come into the ear canal. He was talking about understanding and action. In His time here on earth, He spoke of the Kingdom of God. He spoke of life and death. He spoke of abundant life through the Father. He spoke of a way to live to experience that abundant life. Although ears and hearing are a huge part of the human experience, many of our friends and loved ones are hearing impaired and can’t physically hear the sounds and words that many of us do. This does not make Jesus’ words any less powerful. He still desires us to process and understand His teaching.
Hearing and understanding go beyond the ear canal. Through modern technology and sign language, most everyone can come to understand and process truths and experience an abundant life.
Jesus desires us to process, understand and put into practice all that He teaches. In order to do this we need wisdom, guidance, and patience. We need wisdom to discern His teaching. We need the Spirit of Truth to guide us to truth. We need patience to work through Scripture and practice His truth.
This morning I woke up without roaring in my ears. I was not dizzy. I have no pressure in my ears. I can hear almost everything in my left ear as before. I would say 80% of my hearing has returned. Later today I go back to the specialist to get a hearing test and possibly another shot. Through prayer and patience, my hearing is returning.
He who has ears to hear, listen and understand!—Jesus
Ray Rhoton
ray on life 