We can be deaf to God, deaf to his Word, to his calls. Jesus tells his disciples that we can refuse to listen to him, fear to be healed of this deafness (Matthew 13v14-15); this is why it appeals to the will: “He who has ears to hear, he hears! » (Mark 4v9). But when we are ready to open our ears to hear God, He opens doors for us and does healing work. And the Word becomes alive. (But above all, let us remain humble: we easily mistake our own thoughts for those of God…)
If we can be deaf to the voice of God, we can also ears to others, and put earplugs in the ears at certain times. Be deaf to othersit is also a terrible handicap: for others who call, for ourselves (because we lock ourselves into egocentrism), for God (because he wants to use us in his plan).
How to translate this deafness towards others ? What are the reasons that make me close my ears?
Conferences Luke 10v35-43; Mark 2v1-12; 5v23-43; 1 Thessalonians 5v14
1) On the origin of others because of indifference:
While we live in a world of communications, mutual ignorance is often the reality.
A cartoon draws on this reality: “One invents lots of devices for speaking, hearing, seeing; Even to order your pizza! And in reality, he didn’t see anyone: he stayed at home! This, yes! »Here is a white that has turned sour…
We can be deaf to others like summer, in the parable of the good samaritan (Luke 10v25-37), the priest and the Levite – religious men par excellence! – who refused to hear the suffering of the one who had been beaten. Indifference certainly all of the fear to be attacked in turn; safety required! Their planning perhaps cannot bear to be disrupted… And then, it must be recognized, it is not with their small means that they can help this man; too injured to be helped.
Moses made anyone who touched the dead unclean; and to accomplish what you need to know about Jericho, it’s impossible not to keep your commitments… So many plausible reasons to take a detour and not help.
So many reasons that we have called “valid” so that we remain deaf to the needs of others.
In fact, Jericho is often the symbol of the world; If this is what Jesus had in mind to do with these men from Jerusalem to Jericho, it is perhaps to show that allowing ourselves to be attracted by the world, self-love prevails over love for others and us. deaf to his needs.
Indifference or lack of awareness of this need of selfishness.
Another episode which passes near Jericho: a blind man, Bartimaeus, cries out and calls Jesus (Luke 18v35-43); but his neighbors rebuke him: “Shh…! On listen what Jesus said! “. But Jesus stops: he does not remain deaf to those who call: “What do you want me to do to you? “.
“He who closes his ear to the cry of the poor will cry himself and must not answer” (Proverbs 21v13).
On the other hand, what some of us do towards our neighbors encourages me not to remain deaf towards my neighbor (occasional or permanent). “Lord, open my ears so that I may love with your love and listen to others.”
