EYES TO SEE

EARS TO HEARTHE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

WHAT IS A PARABLE?

Matthew 13:1-9

THAT DAY YESHUA WENT OUT OF THE HOUSE AND WAS

SITTING BY THE SEA. AND LARGE CROWDS GATHERED TO HIM,

SO HE GOT INTO A BOAT AND SAT DOWN, AND THE WHOLE

CROWD WAS STANDING ON THE BEACH.

AND HE SPOKE MANY THINGS TO THEM IN PARABLES,

SAYING, “BEHOLD, THE SOWER WENT OUT TO SOW; AND AS HE

SOWED, SOME SEEDS FELL BESIDE THE ROAD, AND THE BIRDS

CAME AND ATE THEM UP. OTHERS FELL ON THE ROCKY PLACES,

WHERE THEY DID NOT HAVE MUCH SOIL; AND IMMEDIATELY THEY

SPRANG UP, BECAUSE THEY HAD NO DEPTH OF SOIL. BUT WHEN

THE SUN HAD RISEN, THEY WERE SCORCHED; AND BECAUSE

THEY HAD NO ROOT, THEY WITHERED AWAY. OTHERS

FELL AMONG THE THORNS, AND THE THORNS CAME UP AND

CHOKED THEM OUT. AND OTHERS FELL ON THE GOOD SOIL AND

YIELDED A CROP, SOME A HUNDREDFOLD, SOME SIXTY, AND SOME

THIRTY. HE WHO HAS EARS, LET HIM HEAR.”

Matthew 13:10-13

AND THE DISCIPLES CAME AND SAID TO HIM, “WHY DO YOU SPEAK TO THEM IN PARABLES?” YESHUA

ANSWERED THEM, “TO YOU IT HAS BEEN GRANTED TO KNOW THE MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM OF

HEAVEN, BUT TO THEM IT HAS NOT BEEN GRANTED. FOR WHOEVER HAS, TO

HIM MORE SHALL BE GIVEN, AND HE WILL HAVE AN ABUNDANCE; BUT WHOEVER DOES NOT HAVE,

EVEN WHAT HE HAS SHALL BE TAKEN AWAY FROM HIM. THEREFORE I SPEAK TO THEM IN PARABLES; BECAUSE WHILE SEEING THEY DO NOT SEE, AND WHILE HEARING THEY DO NOT HEAR, NOR DO

THEY UNDERSTAND.

Deuteronomy 29:2-6

AND MOSES SUMMONED ALL ISRAEL AND SAID TO THEM, “YOU HAVE SEEN ALL THAT YHWH DID BEFORE YOUR EYES IN THE LAND OF EGYPT TO PHARAOH AND

ALL HIS SERVANTS AND ALL HIS LAND; THE GREAT TRIALS WHICH YOUR EYES HAVE SEEN, THOSE GREAT SIGNS AND WONDERS. YET TO THIS DAY YHWH HAS NOT GIVEN YOU A HEART TO KNOW, NOR EYES TO SEE, NOR EARS TO HEAR. I HAVE LED YOU FORTY

YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS; YOUR CLOTHES HAVE NOT WORN OUT ON YOU, AND YOUR SANDAL HAS NOT WORN OUT ON YOUR FOOT. YOU HAVE NOT EATEN BREAD, NOR HAVE YOU DRUNK WINE OR STRONG

DRINK, IN ORDER THAT YOU MIGHT KNOW THAT I AM YHWH YOUR GOD.

Isaiah 42:14-19

“FOR A LONG TIME I HAVE HELD MY PEACE, I HAVE BEEN SILENT,

RESTRAINED MYSELF.

NOW I WILL SHRIEK LIKE A WOMAN IN LABOR, PANTING AND GASPING FOR

AIR.

I WILL DEVASTATE MOUNTAINS AND HILLS, WITHER ALL THEIR VEGETATION,

TURN THE RIVERS INTO ISLANDS AND DRY UP THE LAKES.

THE BLIND I WILL LEAD ON A ROAD THEY DON’T KNOW, ON ROADS THEY

DON’T KNOW I WILL LEAD THEM;

I WILL TURN DARKNESS TO LIGHT BEFORE THEM, AND STRAIGHTEN THEIR

TWISTED PATHS.

THESE ARE THINGS I WILL DO WITHOUT FAIL.

THOSE WHO TRUST IN IDOLS,

WHO SAY TO STATUES, ‘YOU ARE OUR GODS,’ WILL BE REPULSED IN UTTER

SHAME.

LISTEN, YOU DEAF! LOOK, YOU BLIND! — SO THAT YOU WILL SEE!

WHO IS AS BLIND AS MY SERVANT, OR AS DEAF AS THE MESSENGER I SEND?

WHO IS AS BLIND AS THE ONE I REWARDED, AS BLIND AS THE SERVANT

OF YHWH?”

Isaiah 42:20-25

YOU SEE MUCH BUT DON’T PAY ATTENTION;YOU OPEN YOUR EARS, BUT YOU DON’T LISTEN.

YHWH WAS PLEASED, FOR HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS’ SAKE,TO MAKE THE TORAH GREAT AND GLORIOUS.

BUT THIS IS A PEOPLE PILLAGED AND PLUNDERED,ALL TRAPPED IN HOLES AND SEQUESTERED IN PRISONS.

THEY ARE THERE TO BE PLUNDERED, WITH NO ONE TO RESCUE THEM;THERE TO BE PILLAGED, AND NO ONE SAYS, “RETURN THEM!”

WHICH OF YOU WILL LISTEN TO THIS?WHO WILL HEAR AND GIVE HEED IN THE TIMES TO COME?

WHO GAVE JACOB TO BE PILLAGED,ISRAEL TO THE PLUNDERERS?

DIDN’T YHWH, AGAINST WHOM WE HAVE SINNED,IN WHOSE WAYS THEY REFUSED TO WALK,HE WHOSE TORAH THEY DID NOT OBEY?

THIS IS WHY HE POURED ON HIM HIS BLAZING ANGERAS WELL AS THE FURY OF BATTLE —

IT WRAPPED HIM IN FLAMES, YET HE LEARNED NOTHING;IT BURNED HIM, YET HE DID NOT TAKE IT TO HEART.

Jeremiah 5:19-22

AND WHEN YOUR PEOPLE ASK, ‘WHY HAS YHWHOUR GOD DONE ALL THESE THINGS TO US?’

YOU ARE TO GIVE THEM THIS ANSWER:‘JUST AS YOU ABANDONED ME

AND SERVED STRANGE GODS IN YOUR OWN LAND,SO LIKEWISE YOU WILL SERVE STRANGERS

IN A LAND THAT IS NOT YOUR OWN.’ANNOUNCE THIS IN THE HOUSE OF JACOB,

PROCLAIM IT IN JUDAH; SAY:‘HEAR THIS, STUPID, BRAINLESS PEOPLE,

WHO HAVE EYES BUT DO NOT SEE,WHO HAVE EARS BUT DO NOT HEAR:DON’T YOU FEAR ME? — SAYS YHWH.

WON’T YOU TREMBLE AT MY PRESENCE?

Jeremiah 5:22-25

I MADE THE SHORE THE LIMIT FOR THE SEA;

BY ETERNAL DECREE IT CANNOT PASS.

ITS WAVES MAY TOSS, BUT TO NO AVAIL;

ALTHOUGH THEY ROAR, THEY CANNOT CROSS IT.

BUT THIS PEOPLE HAS A REBELLIOUS, DEFIANT HEART;

THEY HAVE REBELLED AND GONE!

THEY DON’T SAY TO THEMSELVES,

“LET’S FEAR YHWH OUR GOD,

WHO GIVES THE FALL AND SPRING RAINS IN SEASON,

WHO RESERVES US THE WEEKS ASSIGNED FOR

HARVEST.”

YOUR CRIMES HAVE OVERTURNED NATURE’S RULES,

YOUR SINS HAVE KEPT BACK GOOD FROM YOU.’

Jeremiah 5:26-31

“FOR AMONG MY PEOPLE THERE ARE WICKED MEN,WHO, LIKE FOWLERS, LIE IN WAIT AND SET TRAPS

TO CATCH THEIR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS.THEIR HOUSES ARE AS FULL OF FRAUD

AS A CAGE FULL OF BIRDS.THEY GROW RICH AND GREAT, SLEEK AND BLOATED;

THEY EXCEL IN ACTS OF WICKEDNESSBUT DO NOT PLEAD ON BEHALF OF THE ORPHAN,

THUS ENABLING HIS CAUSE TO SUCCEED;NOR DO THEY JUDGE IN FAVOR OF THE POOR.

“SHOULD I NOT PUNISH FOR THIS?” ASKS YHWH.“SHOULD I NOT BE AVENGED ON A NATION LIKE THIS?

A SHOCKING AND HORRIFYING THINGHAS HAPPENED IN THE LAND:

THE PROPHETS PROPHESY LIES,THE PRIESTS OBEY THE PROPHETS,AND MY PEOPLE LOVE IT THAT WAY.

BUT WHAT WILL YOU DO AT THE END OF IT ALL?

Ezekiel 12:1-2

THEN THE WORD OF YHWH CAME TO

ME, SAYING, “SON OF MAN, YOU LIVE

IN THE MIDST OF THE REBELLIOUS

HOUSE, WHO HAVE EYES TO SEE BUT

DO NOT SEE, EARS TO HEAR BUT DO

NOT HEAR; FOR THEY ARE A

REBELLIOUS HOUSE.

Matthew 13

And the disciples came and said to him,

“Why do you speak to them in parables?”

Therefore I speak to them in parables;

because while seeing they do not see, and

while hearing they do not hear, nor do they

understand. In their case the prophecy of

Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,

Matthew 13:14-15

‘You will keep on hearing but never understand,

and keep on seeing but never perceive,because the heart of this people has

become dull —with their ears they barely hear,and their eyes they have closed,so as not to see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,understand with their heart,

and do repentance,so that I could heal them.’

Isaiah 6:1-5

IN THE YEAR OF KING UZZIAH’S DEATH I SAW YHWH SITTING ON A HIGH, LOFTY THRONE! THE HEM OF HIS ROBE FILLED THE

TEMPLE. SERAPHIM STOOD OVER HIM, EACH WITH SIX WINGS —TWO FOR COVERING HIS FACE, TWO FOR COVERING HIS FEET

AND TWO FOR FLYING. THEY WERE CRYING OUT TO EACH OTHER,

“MORE HOLY THAN THE HOLIEST HOLINESSIS YHWH OF HOSTS!

THE WHOLE EARTH IS FILLEDWITH HIS GLORY!”

THE DOORPOSTS SHOOK AT THE SOUND OF THEIR SHOUTING, AND THE HOUSE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE. THEN I SAID,

“WOE TO ME! I [TOO] AM DOOMED! —BECAUSE I, A MAN WITH UNCLEAN LIPS,

LIVING AMONG A PEOPLE WITH UNCLEAN LIPS,HAVE SEEN WITH MY OWN EYESTHE KING, YHWH OF HOSTS!”

Isaiah 6:6-9

ONE OF THE SERAPHIM FLEW TO ME WITH A GLOWING COAL IN HIS HAND, WHICH HE HAD TAKEN WITH TONGS

FROM THE ALTAR. HE TOUCHED MY MOUTH WITH IT AND SAID,

“HERE! THIS HAS TOUCHED YOUR LIPS.YOUR INIQUITY IS GONE,

YOUR SIN IS ATONED FOR.”

THEN I HEARD THE VOICE OF YHWH SAYING, “WHOM SHOULD I SEND?

WHO WILL GO FOR US?” I ANSWERED, “I’M HERE, SEND ME!”

HE SAID, “GO AND TELL THIS PEOPLE: ‘YES, YOU HEAR, BUT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND.

YOU CERTAINLY SEE, BUT YOU DON’T GET THE POINT!’

Isaiah 6:10-13

“MAKE THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE [SLUGGISH WITH] FAT,STOP UP THEIR EARS, AND SHUT THEIR EYES.

OTHERWISE, SEEING WITH THEIR EYES,AND HEARING WITH THEIR EARS,

THEN UNDERSTANDING WITH THEIR HEARTS,THEY MIGHT REPENT AND BE HEALED!”

I ASKED, “YHWH, HOW LONG?” AND HE ANSWERED,

“UNTIL CITIES BECOME UNINHABITED RUINS,HOUSES WITHOUT HUMAN PRESENCE,

THE LAND UTTERLY WASTED;UNTIL YHWH DRIVES THE PEOPLE FAR AWAY,

AND THE LAND IS ONE VAST DESOLATION.IF EVEN A TENTH [OF THE PEOPLE] REMAIN,

IT WILL AGAIN BE DEVOURED.

“BUT LIKE A TEREBINTH OR AN OAK,WHOSE TRUNK REMAINS ALIVEAFTER ITS LEAVES FALL OFF,

THE HOLY SEED WILL BE ITS STUMP.”

Daniel 9:4-11

“PLEASE, YHWH, GREAT AND FEARSOME GOD, WHO KEEPS

HIS COVENANT AND EXTENDS GRACE TO THOSE WHO LOVE

HIM AND OBSERVE HIS COMMANDMENTS! WE HAVE SINNED,

DONE WRONG, ACTED WICKEDLY, REBELLED AND TURNED

AWAY FROM YOUR COMMANDMENTS AND RULINGS. WE

HAVE NOT LISTENED TO YOUR SERVANTS THE PROPHETS,

WHO SPOKE IN YOUR NAME TO OUR KINGS, OUR LEADERS,

OUR ANCESTORS AND TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND.

Daniel 9:4-11

“TO YOU, YHWH, BELONGS RIGHTEOUSNESS; BUT TO US TODAY BELONGS SHAME — TO US, THE MEN OF JUDAH, THE

INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM AND ALL ISRAEL, INCLUDING THOSE NEARBY AND THOSE FAR AWAY, THROUGHOUT ALL THE

COUNTRIES WHERE YOU HAVE DRIVEN THEM; BECAUSE THEY BROKE FAITH WITH YOU. YES, YHWH, SHAME FALLS ON US, OUR

KINGS, OUR LEADERS AND OUR ANCESTORS; BECAUSE WE SINNED AGAINST YOU. IT IS FOR YHWH OUR GOD TO SHOW COMPASSION AND FORGIVENESS, BECAUSE WE REBELLED

AGAINST HIM. WE DIDN’T LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF YHWH OUR GOD, SO THAT WE COULD LIVE BY HIS LAWS, WHICH HE

PRESENTED TO US THROUGH HIS SERVANTS THE PROPHETS. YES, ALL ISRAEL FLOUTED YOUR TORAH AND TURNED AWAY,

UNWILLING TO LISTEN TO YOUR VOICE. THEREFORE THE CURSE AND OATH WRITTEN IN THE TORAH OF MOSES THE SERVANT OF GOD WAS POURED OUT ON US, BECAUSE WE SINNED AGAINST

HIM.

Matthew 13:18-23

HEAR THEN THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER. WHEN ANYONE HEARS THE WORD OF THE KINGDOM AND DOES NOT

UNDERSTAND IT, THE EVIL ONE COMES AND SNATCHES AWAY WHAT HAS BEEN SOWN IN HIS HEART. THIS IS THE ONE ON

WHOM SEED WAS SOWN BESIDE THE ROAD. THE ONE ON WHOM SEED WAS SOWN ON THE ROCKY PLACES, THIS IS THE MAN WHO HEARS THE WORD AND IMMEDIATELY RECEIVES IT WITH JOY; YET

HE HAS NO FIRM ROOT IN HIMSELF, BUT IS ONLY TEMPORARY, AND WHEN AFFLICTION OR PERSECUTION ARISES BECAUSE OF THE WORD, IMMEDIATELY HE FALLS AWAY. AND THE ONE ON

WHOM SEED WAS SOWN AMONG THE THORNS, THIS IS THE MAN WHO HEARS THE WORD, AND THE WORRY OF THE WORLD AND THE DECEITFULNESS OF WEALTH CHOKE THE WORD, AND IT BECOMES UNFRUITFUL. AND THE ONE ON WHOM SEED WAS

SOWN ON THE GOOD SOIL, THIS IS THE MAN WHO HEARS THE WORD AND UNDERSTANDS IT; WHO INDEED BEARS FRUIT AND

BRINGS FORTH, SOME A HUNDREDFOLD, SOME SIXTY, AND SOME THIRTY.

Conclusion

“WOE TO ME! I [TOO] AM DOOMED! —

BECAUSE I, A MAN WITH UNCLEAN LIPS,

LIVING AMONG A PEOPLE WITH UNCLEAN

LIPS!

AND THE DISCIPLES CAME AND SAID

TO HIM, “WHY DO YOU SPEAK TO

THEM IN PARABLES?”

THEN I HEARD THE VOICE OF YHWH SAYING, “WHOM SHOULD I SEND?

WHO WILL GO FOR US?” I ANSWERED, “I’M HERE, SEND ME!”

HE SAID, “GO AND TELL THIS PEOPLE: ‘YES, YOU HEAR, BUT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND.

YOU CERTAINLY SEE, BUT YOU DON’T GET THE POINT!’

EYES TO SEE

EARS TO HEARTHE PARABLE OF THE SOWER