Mark 4:23 - Printer Friendly

This verse is a condensed summary of Mark chapter 4—an exhortation to pay attention to Jesus' words and strive to understand what He is teaching. It is also used in Mark 4:3 when He says, "Listen!" Mark 4:9 is an almost-direct quote. And Mark 4:24–25 expounds on the phrase.

The disciples who ask Jesus for clarification of His parables (Mark 4:10, 34) are the "good soil" of the parable of the sower (Mark 4:8, 20). They choose to stay near Jesus and ask Him the deeper truths of the parables He teaches the crowd. In return, Jesus chooses them for advanced training (Mark 3:13–19) so they can spread His message (Mark 6:7–13).

The word translated "ears" is from the Greek root word ous. Literally, it means the physical organs on the side of your head, but metaphorically, it means the spiritual capacity to understand what is taught. "Hear" is from the Greek root word akouo. Similarly to ous, the plain definition means to not be deaf, but it also means to attend to and perceive what is being said.

Having "ears to hear" isn't restricted to people who are well-educated, smart, or even wise. The Pharisees understand God's work in Israel better than anyone, yet they still don't take the time to contemplate the implications of Jesus' teaching. Conversely, as the gospel spreads, the disciples will come to realize that "anyone" includes Samaritans, Romans, Ethiopians—any Gentile who is willing to listen (Romans 1:16–17).

True understanding of Scripture comes only through the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10–13), but we each have some say as to how much understanding we will accept (Mark 4:24–25, 33). Knowledge builds on knowledge, and understanding is tightly associated with obedience (John 5:39–40; 7:17). If we find ourselves in a season where we can't understand the Bible, it may be that we have rejected what God taught us previously, and He won't continue until we accept the earlier message. Listening and understanding involves a radical change of character. God is not interested in us being academics who understand the Bible but refuse to live it out.

Mark 4:21–25 is Jesus' explanation of what makes for good learning conditions. Jesus has previously revealed why some people accept His teaching while others don't (Mark 4:1–20). ''Light'' is the truth of Jesus that should be let free to reveal the secret of the gospel. But it will only provide illumination for those who pay attention and come with a deep desire to understand. Next, Jesus will tell the disciples their responsibility in spreading the gospel (Mark 4:26–29) and what reaction they can expect (Mark 4:30–32). Luke also records this story in Luke 8:16–18 while Matthew touches on the themes in Matthew 5:15–16 and 10:26.

Jesus speaks in parables to the assembled crowd, giving them an opportunity to decide how much spiritual truth they want to absorb. The disciples, wanting to learn more, ask Jesus to explain the meaning of the parables He has taught. As Jesus explains these ideas, He demonstrates that a person's spiritual knowledge is based on their willingness to pursue truth. After describing Jesus' teaching in some detail, the Gospel of Mark describes how Jesus calms a storm on the Sea of Galilee.

Mark 3 explores the different ways people react to Jesus' teaching and miracles. They either follow Him, use Him, hide Him, or destroy Him. In Mark 4, Jesus explains why people react the way they do. He uses parables to explain who is serious about learning from Him. The softer a person's heart is, the more truth God will reveal. Soon, the twelve will also spread Jesus' message, although they will not be responsible for the spiritual growth of those who believe. The following chapter returns to depicting Jesus' miracles, including two of His most famous.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.