Day 020: Hearing

ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω 

ho ekhon ota akuein akueto

"He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Matthew 13:43

This is an interesting phrase that Jesus repeats throughout the gospels, and I find it to be particularly poignant.

Greek had this interesting feature where there was a third person imperative conjugation, which doesn't exist in English or Spanish today.  The imperative mood in a language is one used for commanding.  So, when one says "go there," the verb "go" is used in the imperative.  However, in English and Spanish, that mood is reserved for the second person, the "you" or "tú/vosotros" form. There isn't really a way to direct it to the third person (he/she/it/they; el/ella/ellos/ellas).  In Greek, on the other hand, a person could very well tell someone "go" in the second person, or "(let him) go" in the third person.  *In my Greek class, my teacher told us to translate this form as "let him/her verb"

The reason I find this phrase to be special, though, is because of the fact that Jesus already had disciples all around him.  Jesus had people he could have commanded, "You who have ears to hear, hear."  But he didn't.  Jesus didn't want to restrict his message just to those around him.  Jesus wanted to make sure that his message was going out to all of those who wanted to hear.

The gospel was never meant to be reserved for only a select group of people.  It was meant to be spread.  It was meant to be proclaimed.  Jesus calls us to serve so that we may bring others into the love of God.  Jesus called us all to find those who have ears to hear so that they could receive the message.  Jesus calls us today to be the ones who plant the seeds and water and tend the garden.

Jesus didn't command us to be lazy.  He did say that he would do everything for us.  He commanded us to act.  He commanded all of those who weren't in his circle, all those who were ostracized, all those who were oppressed, to act, to receive the message, and to live the message.

Today's Readings:
Genesis 39-40
Psalm 17:1-16 (18:1-15)
Proverbs 10:1-2
Matthew 13:18-43
Acts 20