“But Blessed Are Your Eyes

 Because They See”

 

 

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

 

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.’

 

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

 

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

 

Matthew 13:14-22

 

How easily we can be distracted by many things, whether in our relationship with others or with the Lord.

 

Jesus told His followers that spiritual distraction begins with hearts that have grown dull, easrs that are hard of hearing, and eyes that are closed.

 

There is great value in having times throughout each day when we turn off the distractions of mind and heart and focus on the Lord.

 

Focusing on Christ puts everything else in perspective.

 

Our Daily Bread – November 21, 2014