Luke 8:18 Take heed therefore how you hear: for whoever has, to him shall be given; and whoever has not… The words of the text are necessary not only to give point to the parable of the sower, and to send it home to the hearts of the hearers, but also to prevent them from putting a disastrous misinterpretation upon the parable, from supposing that "the state of mind described as existing in different men, originated in some inherent necessity." I. THE HEARER SHOULD BE PREPARED AS WELL AS THE PREACHER. 1. He should have his body, so far as possible, in such a condition that it will not interfere with the free action of the mind. Some people break the Sabbath on a Saturday. 2. The mind should be prepared. Worldly cares and preoccupations should be bidden to stand aside. 3. Above all, the spirit should be prepared, be devout, humble, receptive. II. THE PREPARED HEARER WILL HEAR ATTENTIVELY, in the spirit of the words uttered by Cornelius to Peter (Acts 10:33). 1. There cannot have been proper attention when a man goes away crediting the preacher with something which he never dreamt of saying. 2. There cannot have been proper attention when a sermon, which cost its preacher considerable pains in the production, is forgotten in less than a week. 3. There cannot have been proper attention when the sermon leaves no lasting result in the hearts and lives of the hearers. "Faith cometh by hearing," as well as "hearing by the Word of God." III. THE PREPARED HEARER WILL NOT HEAR CENSORIOUSLY. I do not say that you should not hear critically in the true sense of that much-abused word. For true criticism is nothing more or less than judgment. But to bring a sound and healthy judgment to bear upon what we hear is one thing, to listen in a spirit of fault-finding is another. The man of censorious spirit; the man who thinks less of the sun than of his spots, can never hear to profit. Listen charitably and patiently. IV. THE PREPARED HEARER WILL CARRY AWAY SOMETHING VALUABLE FROM THE POOREST PREACHER AND THE FEEBLEST SERMON. AS good George Herbert has it: "God calleth preaching folly. Grudge thou not To pick out treasures from an earthen pot. The worst speak something good. If all lack sense, God takes a text, and preacheth patience. He that gets patience, and the blessing which Preachers conclude with, hath not lost his pains." (J. R. Bailey.) Parallel Verses KJV: Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have. |
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