You Can't Hear What Ain't Been Said

You probably didn't hear it if you attend a church which uses the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), but Jesus quoted Isaiah in the verses that got cut from this Sunday's Gospel reading where the prophet accuses the people of being blind and deaf in their ability to perceive God and his directions. Regular visitors to this blog would have spotted the omission in  the RCL selection, Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, right away.

First, we will read the passages as they were presented in church today which contained the parable of the sower and its explanation,

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!’....

...‘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 is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.’

Now I will admit that it flows nicely once you cut out the missing verses, but look at the challenges contained in the section that got the ax,

Then the disciples came and asked him, ‘Why do you speak to them in parables?’ He answered, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. The reason I speak to them in parables is that “seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.” With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says:“You will indeed listen, but never understand,   and you will indeed look, but never perceive.  For this people’s heart has grown dull,   and their ears are hard of hearing,     and they have shut their eyes;     so that they might not look with their eyes,   and listen with their ears,and understand with their heart and turn—   and I would heal them.” But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 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.

Here are some of the challenges that the average preacher will not have to address,

•  To the average listener, knowledge of the kingdom of heaven has not been given.
•  From those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.
•  The people are blind, deaf, and can't understand Jesus' message.
•  The people are not blessed because they have dull hearts, deaf ears, and shut eyes.
•  All the people need to do is open their eyes and ears to understand and be healed.
•  The disciples are blessed because they have been open to Jesus' message.

Matthew Henry, in his commentary on this chapter of Matthew, takes up the challenge and preaches the words that most pewsitters in RCL churches will never hear,

That seeing, hearing, and understanding, are necessary to conversion; for God, in working grace, deals with men as men, as rational agents; he draws with the cords of a man, changes the heart by opening the eyes, and turns from the power of Satan unto God, by turning first from darkness to light, (Acts 26:18). 2. All those who are truly converted to God, shall certainly be healed by him. “If they be converted I shall heal them, I shall save them:” so that if sinners perish, it is not to be imputed to God, but to themselves; they foolishly expected to be healed, without being converted. 3. It is just with God to deny his grace to those who have long and often refused the proposals of it, and resisted the power of it. Pharaoh, for a good while, hardened his own heart (Exod. 8:15, 32), and afterwards God hardened it, Matt. 9:12; 10:20. Let us therefore fear, lest by sinning against the divine grace, we sin it away.

While we might try to scrape by with the excuse that, "We never heard about that", in this day and age, there is no excuse. Keeping the Bible shut is just as bad as keeping your eyes shut to the sight of Jesus.