Last Words - Part 2

The first post I wrote on last words wasn't the only post I had tumbling around in my brain when I wrote it. When I was talking with my friends about the last words I thought of something else that followed along with all that was happening. I alluded to it a bit in my last post about last words - about the Jews that were around him. They knew exactly what has happening, they know what he's saying but not hearing anything that He's saying to them.

What's semi ironic about it all, is that Christ even told them that's what would happen. As He was telling his disciples and those who were listening a parable about a farmer sowing seeds, people weren't fully grasping what He was telling them. Even his disciples, to an extent, were missing the point. The difference was, they asked Him what he meant. He told them, and He said to them that they were blessed with the knowledge. He quoted a scripture - again, something that many of the religious leaders in his day would be very familiar with:

"Though seeing, they do not see;
      though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
   " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
      you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
 15 For this people's heart has become calloused;
      they hardly hear with their ears,
      and they have closed their eyes.
   Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
      hear with their ears,
      understand with their hearts
   and turn, and I would heal them.'" (Matthew 13:13b-15)

He lays it all out. He says that as much as He tells them, they're really not going to listen. How often do we do that ourselves? I know that I'm guilty of it with my parents, close friends - even my girlfriend at times (probably more than I should). Does this make it right? By no means. Every time I don't listen fully, I don't hear and pay full attention I miss out on something. I often feel myself to be like the Pharisees of Christ's day - given a gift and abusing it in some way. I don't try to, but I j ust do - and believe me, it's not that I want to.

How about you? When you read this, do you understand what Christ is saying to you? Are you just nodding your head, and agreeing just to get him to be quiet? Or are you like the disciples, catching wisps of the greatness He's providing and saying, "Lord, explain this to me more, I want to make sure I understand."?

Our last words are important, they are the things by which we are remembered and known for. More so than our words are our actions. Christ's actions and words never deviated from the course, He never wavered. Will we hear His words, and pray that we would see with our eyes, hear with our ears, understand with our hearts and turn to Him, that He would heal us? I pray that I will, and that I might help others to hear by my own words and actions.

Blessings,