TAKE HEED WHAT YOU HEAR
“And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.” Mark 4:24, 25
These verses follow one of the most important parables Jesus taught, the Parable of the Sower. This parable has to do with the reception of the Word of God.
Using the analogy of sowing seed, the seed being the Word of God and the soil being the heart of man, Jesus taught how the condition of the heart affects the influence of the truth. Sometimes the seed is sown by the wayside, on stony ground, among thorns, or on good ground. He then spoke the words of our text, warning about the importance of hearing and obeying God’s Word. The phrase, “Take heed what ye hear,” has to do with the manner in which we attend to the Word of God.
What do we do with the truth that is given to us? Do we believe it? Apply it? Share it with others? Obviously, the manner in which we receive God’s Word will have a direct bearing on how it affects us, but the following words of our text reveal something else affected by the way we heed God’s Word. Jesus said, “with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.”
Our response to the truth that God has previously given us will influence the truth that will subsequently be given to us. If we are faithful to learn, apply, and share God’s truth as we receive it, He promises to give us more truth. By the same token, when we do not take heed to the revelation we have received, and refuse to obey the commands given to us, we should not expect God to continue to show us things from the Scripture. Why should God show us more of His will if we are not attempting to follow what we know to be His will? If we want God to show us more of His Word and will, we must diligently seek to walk in the light He has given us. We cannot just pass over or ignore the truths that challenge us, and then expect God to continue to open His Word to us.
When we refuse some point of revelation, it will have a direct affect on what God shows us in the future. However, when we, by faith, receive and obey God’s Word, we are meeting God’s requirements to be given further direction and truth.