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I read a Jewish proverb the other day that so had me thinking.

“When the eyes don’t see, the heart won’t feel.”

Jesus had this to say about some of the people in His day:

“You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”   (Matthew 13:14 NIV)

He had been sharing with the people, telling them parables even, in an attempt to open their understanding. Yet they failed to grasp what He was telling them.

How did they get to this point? Jesus tells us….

“For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.”Â  (Matthew 13:15a NIV).

Their hearts had become calloused. A callous is the thickening of an external layer of skin which forms in order to withstand pressure or fiction. It is the body’s way of handling pressure or friction without having to feel constant pain. But think about it…the result is something hard & unattractive. Usually something we want to cover up. For instance, us women may work hard to get rid of a callous before needing to wear flip flops all summer.

The same is true of our hearts. When they become calloused, they harden. We become unfeeling towards God & others. In trying to prevent ourselves from feeling further pressure or pain, we prevent ourselves from feeling what is necessary & needed in our lives – God.

Jesus goes on to further explain the result of their calloused hearts:

“Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.”Â  (Matthew 13:15b NIV).

Their own callous hearts stood in the way of their healing. Our own callous hearts will stand in the way of our receiving what we need from God as well.

Jesus had this to say to those whose hearts had remained soft towards Him & His Word:

“But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.”               (Matthew 13:16 NIV). 

Blessed. We are blessed when we have eyes that see & ears that hear. Blessed……

Biblically, one is pronounced blessed when God is present & involved in his life. The hand of God is at work directing all his affairs for a divine purpose…Blessedness is sharing int he life of God, being favorably affected and influenced by God. (New Testament Lexical Aids).

Today may the prayer of each of our hearts be, “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord.”                                         http://youtu.be/tDP12eYxSpE