“Jesus 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. In their
case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, “YOU WILL KEEP ON
HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT
PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY
SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH
THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND
I WOULD HEAL THEM [quote from Isaiah 6:9,10].” But blessed are your eyes,
because they see; and your ears, because they hear’” (Matthew 13:11-16).
“And He was saying to them, ‘To you
has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get
everything in parables, so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE,
AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT
RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN [quote from Isaiah 6:9,10]’” (Mark 4:11,12).
“And He
said, ‘To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God,
but to the rest it is in parables, so that SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING
THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND [quote from Isaiah 6:9]’” (Luke 8:10).
“For this reason they could not believe,
for Isaiah said again, ‘HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART,
SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND
BE CONVERTED AND I HEAL THEM [quote from Isaiah 6:9,10].’ These things Isaiah
said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him” (John 12:39-41).
“When they had set a day for Paul,
they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them
by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them
concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from
morning until evening. Some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but
others would not believe. And when they did not agree with one another, they began
leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, ‘The Holy Spirit rightly spoke
through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying, “GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND SAY,
‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON
SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,
AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES;
OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND
UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM [quote from
Isaiah 6:9,10].’” Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God
has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen’” (Acts 28:23-28).
“I say then, God has not rejected
His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of
Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people whom He
foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about
Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel
Gather, Church, hear and be healed.
Gather, Church, hear and be
forgiven.
Gather, Church, hear and understand.
Gather, Church, hear and see.
Gather, Church, hear and perceive.
Gather, Church, hear and show forth
God’s gracious choice of you.
This is what shows the gathered Church to be God's true Church: they gather and hear.
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