Listening

I am teaching in Sunday School this morning on the parable of the Sower from Matthew 13. I was studying that, and thinking about some other things that have been said this weekend about "active listening," when I came across this quote:

"...every mind is not equally improvable." Adam Clarke Commentary

Hmm? His reference was to bearing fruit as one of the three evidences of being a disciple of Christ. Those who bore fruit did not do so equally (Matthew 13:23). The fruit being the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22. Life circumstances, just where we have been affect us...at least it does me...guess I should be speaking for myself...because life is not always what it appears to be, and people aren't always what they say they are. Hearts harden when they are weathered, life burdens choke our desire to even be fruitful...sometimes the "trying" over and over again, the falling down...getting up...falling down...getting up..becomes burdensome.

Not everyone is open to change...most people think they already have it figured out...they think they know...when really who does? There is only one truth and only one God who does know...I find myself over and over in meaningless converstations where no one is listening to anyone else...everyone wants to talk, but no one wants to listen.

That parable is repeated in Luke 8 and ends with a warning: "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." (Luke 8:18)