Luke 19:11 “And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.”
In Luke 18:31, the Lord Jesus plainly tells the disciples what would happen next: “Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.” But then in Luke 19:11, the disciples thought they had already heard–they thought they already knew.They had a preconceived idea-“They thought the kingdom of God should immediately appear.” But the Lord Jesus had just told them that “they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.” (Luke 18:33) Their problem was not that their ears were plugged; their problem was that their ears were full.
Have you ever been in the subway system in New York City? It seems like most people are in their own little world-and their world is loaded onto an ipod. They do not hear anything except what is being channeled into their ears by two tiny earbuds. To have a conversation with someone in New York City, they have to take out what is filling their ears!
Did you know that we can be the same way? In a Bible-preaching service, we are so concerned with the “rotten person on the third row who really needs this” that we cannot hear what we need.
Sometimes we do not hear because of what we think we know. The disciples had a preconceived idea about “the kingdom” and it “immediately appearing,” but they missed what the Lord plainly told them. What you think you know-some preconceived idea or matter-can keep you from hearing. Sometimes we do not hear because of what we want or because we are defensive and biased.
The Pharisees denied who the Lord Jesus was. They did not know who He was. They were bothered by the crowd’s rejoicing and praising God during His triumphal entry. In Luke 19:39, they said to Jesus, “Master, rebuke thy disciples.” But Jesus said in the next verse, “I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” The Pharisees did not hear either, and the Lord said in Luke 19:42, “If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto they peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.”
May God help us to not be the same way and help our ears not be full of truth from yesterday so that we do not hear truth today.
Prayer Requests: – Bill Rice Ranch Deaf Rally in Indianapolis, IN (3/28)
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