But deep down I think we know the parts we are consciously avoiding because we would just rather do what we want instead of what God wants. I also realize that some passages might be hard to understand, and that it takes time, study and prayer to more fully understand Scripture.
From what I’ve seen, everyone has a “Bible within a Bible,” meaning that they selectively prioritize certain passages over others. I realize this is a work in progress for all of us, myself included.
To listen to some of what Jesus says and not to all of what Jesus says is to not listen to what Jesus says. But do we accept them and respond? Do we only accept some of them? Does our selective hearing and selective accepting mean that we selectively respond? We should “hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop…” In Mark 4:20, Jesus tells us how we should respond to God’s teachings. They have great hearing when it is to their benefit.īut if that child is sitting in the other side of the house, and if you say something they don’t want to hear-like how it’s time to do chores-they don’t seem to hear as well. If a child is in the other side of the house, and if you say something that interests them-something perhaps about getting ice cream-they can hear you.
