“For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.”

— Matthew 25:29

There are certain sayings Jesus repeated over and over, such as “the last will be first, and the first last…” (Matthew 20:16). “…a servant is not greater than his master”… (John 13:16). “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14).

Matthew 25:29 is one of these. It is a text that is often overlooked. It is a text which is filled with meaning and pregnant with significance for our lives. On five separate occasions, Christ repeated this text in varied forms. It deals three times with the initial state of our Christian life, telling us to beware of what we hear.

We are warned early in the ministry of Christ that we are to be careful what we hear. Today it seems that people have very little care for what they hear. As long as the preacher has some eloquence and appeal or some sort of zeal, they will listen to anything. Nonetheless, false doctrine, however appealing it may appear, is always poisonous. Perhaps there has never been a time when people needed to listen more carefully to the Word of Jesus in that regard. “Take heed what you hear” (Mark 4:24). Few people would seem to suppose that hearing anything could be dangerous to their spiritual life. And Jesus also said, “take heed therefore how you hear” (Luke 8:18).

Are we not often careless hearers? May God give us the grace to listen carefully to Christ through the pages of Scripture with open ears and open hearts.

God of truth, help us to know Your voice amidst all the voices that scream out for our attention. Give us the strength to hear You correctly and to live by Your Word…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN DISCERN
TRUTH FROM FALSEHOOD.