Hear and Understand: Seeing Jesus Clearly
- Carol Plafcan
- 9 minutes ago
- 7 min read
Faith Grows Through Hearing and Understanding
Over and over the Bible explains the importance of truly understanding what God is telling us. Our faith grows by hearing and understanding the Word of God (Romans 10:17). As an older person I notice my vision and hearing are not what it used to be. Physically they seem to be fading a bit. But, thankfully my spiritual vision and hearing have improved over the years, studying the Word increases our understanding. We learn not to lean on our own understanding.
Why Context Matters in Bible Study
When we study the Bible, it is important to remember that originally the Bible had no verses and chapters. These were added to aid in locating important passages. We need to read things in context and often that context can be part of a previous chapter or a following chapter.
Spiritual Lessons in Jesus' Miracles
Studying Jesus' miracles and parables, we are reminded that these stories were meant to teach deep spiritual truths. Often when we read them in context it is easier to see their meaning, instead of reading them as isolated stories. One example of this is in Mark chapters 7-9. When we read each parable or event in isolation we only see part of a much bigger lesson that Jesus was teaching.
Seeing but Not Perceiving, Hearing but Not Understanding
To understand the importance of spiritual sight and hearing we must go back to Isaiah 6:9-10. Here Isaiah tells us,
"And He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’"
In these verses, God recognizes the hardened hearts of Israel. They don't want to understand. They don't want to perceive. So God gives them over to this condition.
God Gives Them Over to Their Hardened Hearts
He tells Isaiah to prophesy to them about their coming judgment all while knowing they will not repent. When Jesus comes, the Pharisees reject His miracles. Their hearts are still hardened.
John 12:37-43 explains that despite all the signs, the miracles, that Jesus performed the people still didn't believe in Him. John quotes Isaiah 53:1 which says, " Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?" John then quotes Isaiah 44:18, where Isaiah explains that the people can't understand because their eyes and hearts have been shut by God.
The Disciples’ Struggle to Understand
Those Pharisees who reject His teaching cannot hear or understand. They can't see and perceive. Why? Because they don't want to. God gives them over to their true desires. But, He explains to the disciples that they are blessed because they do see and they do hear (Matthew 13:16). The miracles in Mark 7-9 reinforce the theme of a deeper understanding of who Jesus is.
Hearing and Speaking: A Physical and Spiritual Healing
Returning to Mark 7:31-37, we read of a man who was both deaf and had a speech impediment—a condition that was miraculously healed by Jesus. As we come to know Christ, we experience a similar transformation. Just as his hearing and speech were restored, our spiritual hearts are healed not just to know truth, but to share it. Now, we can tell others about Jesus!
The Leaven of the Pharisees: Missing the Message
Jesus follows this healing with the feeding of the 4,000 in Mark 8:1-10. In Mark 8:13-21, Jesus has left the crowds with His disciples in a boat and they discover they don't have enough bread to feed them all. Jesus warns them not to be like the Pharisees and Herodians (a political party that supported King Herod Antipas), which He compares to leaven.
Their ideas were influencing the people they were around, in the same way that leaven (yeast) influences bread to rise. They were hypocrites, always demanding a sign, yet never seeming to see and perceive or hear and understand. The disciples had seen miracles performed but still seemed not to realize that Jesus' power was from God.
Still Not Seeing: Jesus Confronts the Disciples
The disciples assume Jesus is talking about their lack of bread, but knowing their thoughts, He asks if they still fail to understand His teaching. He reminds them of the miracles of the feeding of the 5,000 with 12 baskets of crumbs left over and then the feeding of the 4,000 with 7 baskets of crumbs left over. "How is it you still do not understand?" He says in Mark 8:21.
Jesus seems amazed by their inability to grasp what He is teaching. It's almost like He is saying, "What more must I do for you to understand?" How often are we just like this? We see miracles occurring in our lives and others' lives and yet we still doubt that God is for us.
Thirteen people are in the boat. Twelve are worried about eating; one is explaining spiritual truth. They have seen God provide. They know they are not to worry about what their bodily needs are. God will provide as He does for the birds (Matthew 6:26-27). Too often this is you and I. We have seen God provide and care for us, yet instead of truly seeing and hearing, we concern ourselves over unimportant things, while all Jesus wants us to do is trust Him.
Hear and Understand: Seeing Jesus Clearly
In Mark 8:22-26, Mark tells of Jesus healing a blind man. But this story is a little different. In this story of healing, it is unusual because it isn't immediate. First the blind man sees things blurry. He describes it as "shapes like trees walking." Then Jesus puts His hands on the man's eyes a second time and he sees perfectly. Why does it take two attempts? Because, once again Jesus is teaching a lesson, not with a parable but with an actual healing.
The blind man begins to see, rather unclearly, but then sees flawlessly. The disciples, as we, are like the blind man. We begin to perceive Jesus dimly—but over time, through His presence, we come to see Him more clearly. This healing isn’t just physical—it’s a powerful illustration of how spiritual understanding unfolds. When we hear and understand, seeing Jesus clearly becomes possible.
Seeing His Glory: The Transfiguration of Jesus
As Jesus continues to reveal Himself to His disciples, Mark follows this miracle with the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus in Mark 9:2-13. Here only a few of His disciples were present. Peter, James and John were the disciples chosen to see this glorification of our Lord. Why these three? The Bible doesn't tell us specifically.
We know these three were also the only ones present at the raising of Jairus' daughter and at the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus prayed. They seemed to have a special relationship with Jesus. Maybe these three were able to "see and hear" a little better than the other disciples initially.
At the transfiguration they saw Jesus in all of His glory. They heard the voice of God plainly. God said, "This is my beloved Son. Hear Him" (Mark 9:7). They were told to keep these things to themselves for a time. They perceived and they understood more about who Jesus really was.
Each of these men would go on to suffer greatly for Christ. Peter and James would become the head of the church in Jerusalem. Peter would be martyred in Rome. James would be the first disciple to be martyred. James was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:2). John would be exiled to the island of Patmos, where he would write Revelation. Like the disciples we should grow in our knowledge of who Jesus is.
Growing in Christ Through Hearing and Obedience
As we walk through our lives as Christians this is what we should desire. To see and perceive, to hear and understand. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:12, we see in a mirror dimly, but our perception of Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit grows as we become more and more like Him. Our goal of sanctification requires us to "Hear Him!" as God commanded the three disciples. In the book of Revelation, John uses the verb hear 49 times.
Faith Comes by Hearing: The Word Made Flesh
Remember what Paul told us in Romans 10:17, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." By the power of the Holy Spirit speaking through God's word we are transformed to understand the Savior in a deeper way. As we grow spiritually, we should grow in our obedience to Him.
Are we serving others?
Are we willing to sacrifice everything for God?
Are we living a holy life?
Are we loving, even to the unloving?
Are we forgiving?
Are we humble?
In John 1:14, John says, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." It is Jesus who allows us to have a foretaste of glory divine, as the old hymn, Blessed Assurance, by Fanny Crosby exclaims. Gradually we are changed, from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord (1 Corinthians 3:18). How does your life show this transformation?
"Hear Him!" so that you can share His love with the world. Be set free by His truth (John 8:32). Rejoice with me in realizing that, "Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known" (1 Corinthians 13:12). And above all remember how the Lord has blessed you.
People Also Ask:
Why do the Pharisees and Sadducees ask for a sign from Jesus? What did they want? The Pharisees and Sadducees knew that Jesus had healed people and cast out demons. This wasn't enough for them, they thought that the Devil or God, either one, could be responsible for His miracles. They wanted undeniable proof—fire from Heaven or parting the Red Sea—kind of proof that He was the Messiah. But even that would have probably been credited to Satan because their eyes and ears were closed. They wanted to trip Him up. Today, many people are like them. They see what Jesus has done but refuse to believe in Him.