Hearing And Understanding The Sign Of Jonah

Luk 11:27 And it happened as He spoke these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said to Him, Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which You have sucked Luk 11:28 But He said, No; rather, blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it. Luk11:29 But the crowds pressing on Him, He began to say, This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it, except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Luk 11:30 For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also shall the Son of Man be to this generation. Luk 11:31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the Judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them. For she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And behold, One greater than Solomon is here . Luk11:32 The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the Judgment with this generation and shall condemn it. For they repented at the preaching of Jonah. And behold, One greater than Jonah is here.

We have for many years used many ears to hear the word. In a sense, Messages, songs, studies, testimonies are the many hearing aids used to enable us to hear the word. In the passage above Jesus says that it is more blessed to hear and obey the word than have the privilege of being his mother. This emphasis on cultivating the art of hearing and obeying is something that the Lord had always emphasised with his disciples. In the gospel of Mark Chapter 4, he says the ability to hear increases with practice. Mar 4:23 If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.Mar 4:24 And He said to them, Take heed what you hear. With that measure which you measure, it shall be measured to you. And to you who hear, more shall be given. Mar 4:25 For he who has, more shall be given to him; and he who has not, from him shall be taken even that which he has.(KJV)

These words of Jesus are placed contextually immediately after he explained the parable of the sower that has to do with hearing and productivity. Mar 4:9 And He said to them, He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Hearing includes the faculty of understanding and that happens when we ask questions. In response to the disciples enquiry he responded, Mar 4:11 And He said to them, To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. The disciples that welcomed hearing with inquiry were the soil that would become 100 percent productive.

There is hearing like you hear on the wayside which is casual hearing Mar 4:15 And these are those by the wayside, where the Word is sown. And when they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the Word that was sown in their hearts. There is hearing that has not gone in deep enough because we forget what we heard when we are under pressure Mar 4:16 And these are those likewise being sown on stony places; who, when they hear the Word. Then there is hearing that is partial because its implementation is partial, because the worries and cares of this world will not allow full obedience., Mar 4:18 And these are those being sown among thorns; such as hear the Word, Finally there is hearing with full obedience that is productive Mar 4:20 And these are those sown on good ground, who hear the Word and welcome it, and bear fruit, one thirty, one sixty, and one a hundredfold.

The Lord said that unless the disciples could not understand any other parable without understanding the parable of the sower. Hearing is complete when you hear with understanding and act. Hearing with understanding is to meditate on what you hear. To ask questions and get answers. The quality of the soil is judged by its ability to hear effectively not by its ability to talk and ramble. Therefore the Lord follows up the parable and says " that to those who hear, more shall be given". Those who hear attentively to them shall be multiplied it's fruit a thirty fold, a sixty fold and a hundred fold but to those who hear in the other three forms what they hear shall also be taken away.

But the Lord says that this generation has a quality. They don't come to hear. They come seeking a sign as in.Luk 11:29 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.