“He who has ears, let him hear.” Mt.13:9
Before some of you think you are off the hook, a politically correct version would have for that text would be, “He or she who hears, let them hear.
I am frequently asked if I am looking forward to retirement. The answer is I haven’t had time to think about it. I have frequently referred to moving house as being on the same stress level as bereavement and divorce but, have begun to think when moving house and trying to combine two lots of furniture, or rather choosing which to use put’s it one step higher! Another event, I am told, of equally life changing challenge is the birth of the firstborn child!
When the Word is heard it hopefully should have a similar life changing effect as is echoed in the Collect today: -
“show the light of your truth to those who go astray, so that they may return to the right path.”
The trouble is the obstacles that are to hearing the God’s word, some external and some in our hearts. Abundant blessing, however, comes to those in whom that word finds a home. The prophet Isaiah as we heard in the first reading uses the yearly round of nature to make this point: he says that as the snow and rain fall each year, they water the earth which without them would be parched and barren. Remember the climatic conditions of the Holy Land and the prophet’s words come to life; for those to whom he addressed his words would be only to well aware of how barren hills in winter are turned to lush green as life burst in Spring: this says Isaiah is how powerful can God’s word be in the hearts of believers.
I do not intend to dwell on the words of the so familiar parable but will move straight on to those areas we can create withing ourselves that cause us to reject or perhaps turn a deaf ear to the word of God as these are not always as easy to avoid as they seem. We all know of the sins of deed when we have firmly rejected God’s will, but what of the sins of omission when God’s word had not been listened to as we go on our own sweet way.
The Word of God is always pertinent to each human situation; indeed it speaks uniquely to that situation as individuals find themselves facing them. In times of violence it is a word of peace; in times of hurt, it is a healing word; to hearts broken, it is a word of consolation and hope. However the word of peace may be to inspire a peacemaker, healing is not always bodily disorder, it may require reconciliation and consolation will only be found if the truth of a situation is admitted.
I’ve said it before, and no doubt will say it again, I believe we are all guilty of neglecting silent prayer and listening to God. It’s all very well pausing after the homily and after receiving Holy Communion, but what of our daily prayer life and vitally in preparation for Mass? In listening to the Word of God, we may find new perspective, we may see that the way ahead is not necessarily the way we would have it be: in silent prayer we open ourselves to new visions equally with receiving new encouragement and vitally a new determination to change what has caused past dissatisfaction.
Hearing God’s word brings a new and exciting revelation for it is not just acquiring knowledge but receiving God’s power to bring about what God is calling us to do or be: we can indeed transform ourselves and the situations we might find frustrating: once again the question needs to be asked as to the quality of our listening and our willingness to act on what we have heard.
So then let’s remember the parable we have heard and let’s remember that while we listen to addresses in Church, we can hear God’s word from each other. Of the greatest importance however is the need to create the “good soil” on or in which God’s word can fall, that indeed it might “produce grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” of even just to be received – that is making time to listen!
“He who has ears, let him hear.” Mt.13:9