OTKC 30 – Hear and Understand

And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand:” Matthew 15:10 (ESVUK)

With this, Jesus issued a divine imperative that would revolutionise how His followers engaged with spiritual truth. This command, rooted in the ancient Hebrew Shema, cuts to the very heart of what it means to follow Christ—moving beyond passive hearing to active, life-transforming understanding. In a world drowning in noise and distraction, Jesus calls His disciples to a deeper, more intentional engagement with His Word, one that requires both our ears and our hearts.

What Jesus Means

Jesus’s command “hear and understand” carries profound theological weight that transcends simple auditory reception. The Greek word translated “hear” implies not only listening but also heeding and obeying, whilst “understand” means to “bring together” or “put it together,” suggesting an active process of assembling truth like pieces of a puzzle. Jesus is calling His followers to engage their whole being—mind, heart, and will—in comprehending divine truth.

In the immediate context of Matthew 15, Jesus addresses the Pharisees’ emphasis on external rituals whilst challenging the crowds to grasp a revolutionary spiritual principle: “it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person” (Matthew 15:11, ESVUK). This teaching required His listeners to move beyond centuries of tradition to embrace a heart-centred understanding of holiness. Jesus was reclaiming the original call of Deuteronomy 6:4, where hearing leads to wholehearted obedience: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one”.

The command also reveals that understanding is not merely an intellectual exercise but a spiritual gift requiring divine illumination. Jesus frequently used the phrase “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 13:9, ESVUK), acknowledging that spiritual comprehension depends on the condition of one’s heart. As the prophet Isaiah warned, “this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes” (Matthew 13:15, ESVUK). True hearing and understanding, therefore, demand both human receptivity and divine revelation.

Examples from Scripture

Throughout Scripture, the pattern of hearing and understanding emerges as central to faithful discipleship. The Old Testament foundations are unmistakable: the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4 established hearing as the first step towards covenantal faithfulness. The Hebrew word shema encompasses both listening and obeying, demonstrating that true hearing always results in action. The prophets consistently called God’s people back to this foundational practice: “Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints” (Psalm 85:8, ESVUK).

Jesus modelled perfect hearing and understanding throughout His earthly ministry. He only spoke what He heard from the Father: “The Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing” (John 5:19, ESVUK). His parables were designed to separate superficial hearers from those genuinely seeking understanding. When His disciples asked privately about the meaning of His teachings, Jesus explained them fully, developing in them a hunger to understand divine principles (Mark 4:10).

The early church demonstrated this command powerfully through their dependence on the Holy Spirit’s guidance. At Pentecost, the Spirit enabled believers to speak and be understood across language barriers (Acts 2:3-6). Philip received direct prompting from the Spirit to approach the Ethiopian eunuch, leading to gospel proclamation (Acts 8:29). Peter heard the Spirit’s voice whilst wrestling with a vision, resulting in the gospel reaching the Gentiles (Acts 10:19). The Jerusalem Council exemplified corporate hearing and understanding when they concluded, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us” (Acts 15:28, ESVUK). These believers understood that spiritual comprehension required attentiveness to the Spirit’s voice alongside Scripture.

Why This Command Matters

The command to hear and understand is foundational to Christian discipleship because it establishes how believers receive and respond to God’s revelation. Without proper hearing, there can be no genuine faith, for “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17, ESVUK). The quality of our hearing directly impacts the fruitfulness of our spiritual lives, as Jesus illustrated in the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23).

Understanding transforms external religion into internal reality. The Pharisees whom Jesus confronted had perfected religious ritual whilst missing the heart of God’s law. Jesus warned that external compliance without heart understanding produces hypocrisy: “This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8, ESVUK). True discipleship requires that we grasp not merely what God says but why He says it, allowing His truth to penetrate our hearts and transform our character.

Moreover, spiritual hearing and understanding protect believers from deception. In an age of countless competing voices and false teachings, the ability to discern God’s voice becomes critical. Jesus promised that His sheep would know His voice and follow Him (John 10:27, ESVUK). The apostle John urged believers to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1, ESVUK), recognising that understanding comes through Spirit-led discernment.

The command also emphasises that divine truth must lead to obedience. James warned against being “hearers of the word” only, calling believers to be “doers” as well (James 1:22, ESVUK). Genuine understanding always produces transformation; it moves us from merely knowing truth intellectually to living it practically. This is why Jesus concluded the Sermon on the Mount by contrasting those who hear and act upon His words with those who hear but do not act (Matthew 7:24-27, ESVUK).

What Might This Look Like Today?

What might it look like to come to Him and learn from Him this week?

Applying Jesus’s command begins with cultivating intentional attentiveness to God’s Word. Set aside dedicated time daily to read Scripture slowly and meditatively, asking the Holy Spirit to illuminate its meaning. Proverbs 2:2-5 instructs us to “make your ear attentive to wisdom and incline your heart to understanding” (ESVUK), suggesting that hearing requires deliberate effort. Pray before opening Scripture, inviting the Spirit to guide you into all truth, as Jesus promised in John 16:13.

Develop the discipline of reflective listening. After reading a passage, pause to consider what God is saying specifically to you. Ask: What does this reveal about God’s character? What does it teach about living righteously? How should this truth change my thoughts, attitudes, or actions? Jesus often withdrew to quiet places to pray (Luke 5:16, ESVUK), modelling the need for solitude in hearing God’s voice.

Engage with Scripture in community. The early church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship” (Acts 2:42, ESVUK), recognising that corporate study enhances individual understanding. Join a Bible study group where you can discuss, question, and test your understanding alongside other believers. Iron sharpens iron, and communal discernment helps prevent misinterpretation whilst deepening comprehension.

Practise immediate obedience to what you understand. The Hebrew concept of shema unites hearing with doing. When God’s Word convicts you, respond swiftly. Isaiah 30:21 promises, “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it'” (ESVUK). Obedience trains your spiritual ears to recognise God’s voice more clearly, creating a virtuous cycle of hearing, understanding, and acting.

Finally, guard your heart against spiritual callousness. Regular self-examination ensures that busyness, sin, or worldly distractions have not hardened your receptivity to God’s truth. Ask the psalmist’s prayer: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!” (Psalm 139:23, ESVUK). A tender heart is essential for hearing and understanding God’s voice.

Jesus’s command to “hear and understand” remains as vital today as when He first spoke it. It’s more important than ever before to devote ourselves to attentive hearing, Spirit-led understanding, and obedient action, becoming disciples who truly know our Master’s voice and follow where He leads.

For His Name’s Sake

C. L. J. Dryden

Shalom

Questions for Reflection

• What does it mean to you now to hear and understand?
• What do you note are the challenges in looking to hear and understand?
• How can you gain encouragement in the week and how will that enable you to encourage others?