“Take heed therefore how you hear: for whoever has will be given more; but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.” – Jesus
Simply knowing about God is insufficient for a transformed life; something more is needed, namely, receptivity of the heart – a sense of concern, a hunger and a thirst for life, and the willingness to believe in the truth of love. Yeshua taught that the condition of our heart is revealed by how we hear. Without charity and a deep sense of concern, loss will inevitably occur. He warned us: “Take heed therefore how you hear: for whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him” (Luke 8:18). Just as “the good eye” (הָעַיִן הַטּוֹבָה) looks for what is good, so “the good ear” (הַאֹזֶן הַטּוֹבָה) listens to the word of hope; and just as “the evil eye” (הָעַיִן הָרָעָה) looks for what is evil, so “the evil ear” (הַאֹזֶן הָרָעָה) attends to the message of loss and despair. We receive what seek. As we inwardly receive the truth of Yeshua, more truth is revealed; but if we resist, untruth will take root and grow…
Yeshua often employed parables (משׁלים), or analogical stories, in his teaching because they simultaneously conceal and reveal spiritual truth. A parable obscures the truth to those who don’t really want it, so that “seeing they may not see, and hearing they might not understand” (Luke 8:9-10; Isa. 6:9-10), and yet it reveals truth to the humble of heart. Since Yeshua’s whole life was a parable of sorts – a “disguise” that led to the victory of our deliverance (Phil. 2:7) – it is not surprising that he regularly used “figures of speech” to provoke people to examine their own heart condition and the quality of their faith… In this connection note that Yeshua never explained the “mysteries of the kingdom of God” directly to the crowds, nor did He ever pander to the crowd’s clamor or interests. God’s word is freely “sown” to all, but it is received only by those who are willing to hear. The message is always directed to the individual willing to follow Him — to the one who has “ears to hear.”
For example, the famous “Parable of the Sower” (Luke 8:4-8) teaches us that God is like a farmer who sows seed upon the “soil” of the human heart, the quality of which may be hard, shallow, choked, or good:
- A “hard heart” (לב קשה) is likened to impenetrable soil that repels the “seed” of the promise of God (ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ, Luke 8:11). Because of bitterness, a person can become indifferent and numb inside, and this heart condition enables the devil to snatch the seed of hope from the heart like a ravenous bird (Luke 8:12).
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- A “shallow heart” (לב רדוד) is likened to topsoil that overlays bedrock. At first the soil receives the seed and quickly begins to grow, but since there is no depth of soil, the growth fails to take root and the growth withers for lack of nutrients and moisture. When tested, the shallow heart reveals its lack of commitment and does not persevere (Luke 8:13).
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- A “choked heart” (נחנק לב) is likened to weedy soil that hides other roots that exhibit “thorns,” namely worldly fears, the desire for riches, and the pursuit of comfort or pleasures. Such people are double-minded and their spiritual life becomes obstructed, throttled by busyness, distracted by desires for comfort, security, and worldly vanities. They are full of inner conflict and despair and consequently become stunted in their growth (Luke 8:14).
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. - Finally, a “good heart” (לב טוב) is likened to tilled and receptive soil that receives the seed to yield an abundant harvest: “yielding thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold.” Because the righteous honor the seed and nurture its presence, the hidden power of the Life is powerfully released (Luke 8:15). They are also likened to a tree planted by rivers of living water that bring forth fruit in their season (Psalm 1:3). In this connection it is helpful to remember that fruit does not immediately crop up but requires time and its own season… The process of spiritual growth is ultimately mysterious and divine: “The kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground. He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. By itself (αὐτομάτη, “automatically”) the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. And when the grain is ripe, he comes in with his sickle because the harvest has come” (Mark 4:26-29). With God all things are possible, and the life of God is a miracle that comes from God’s own source of Life. It is the fruit of the Spirit, after all, and not the result of human effort or moral reformation…
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So the “parable of the sower” teaches us that how we hear will determine the quality of the ground of our spiritual life. If we are honest with ourselves, we will see our own hardness, shallowness, and selfishness in contrast to the fruitfulness marked by the good heart, and this should provoke us to seek God for help… Again, only a new heart (לב חדש) created by power of God’s Spirit can possibly yield the fruit of the Spirit (פרי הרוח). “Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away” (Luke 8:18).
In light of these things I hope we might better appreciate and understand Yeshua’s admonition: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the Vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me – and I in him – bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing” (John 15:3-5). Our connection to Yeshua is intended to bear fruit that glorifies God, but if we refuse to find life in him, we would wither and die (John 15:6). We find sustenance and healing only as we remain connected to the Source and Conduit of life, who is the Messiah, the Savior and LORD. True life grows out a heart connection with Him, and without that connection our lives become vain and yield no eternal significance. Nevertheless we must remain encouraged, friend, since God calls us to Himself. This is “the work of faith.” Look to heavenly reality and not to the vanity and deceits of this world (Col. 3:1-4). Find life in connection with Yeshua, drawing strength and vitality from your relationship with Him. The fruit of the Spirit is produced as we open our hearts and yield ourselves to the love and presence of the Lord. May you grow in grace and be fruitful in God’s love. Amen.
The ancient Greek philosophers sought for “salvation” (Σωτηρία), which they generally understood as freedom from the fear of death… Therefore Socrates sought to dispel mythical superstition by regarding philosophy as the “practice for death,” by which he meant that reflecting upon this “shadowy world” would instill a profound hunger for the eternal (and ideal) world, and he therefore advised that, since we all must die, we ought to prepare ourselves now for eternity, by focusing the mind on what is most essential, real, and beautiful.
Yeshua somberly warned those who professed faith: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness'” (Matt. 7:21-23). Despite the practice and profession of their faith, these people were strangers to God… They had a false sense of assurance, believing that they were “serving God” while they really were not… So the essential question here is whether Yeshua truly knows you. You may know a lot about God, religion, spirituality, and yet you may remain unknown by him… So where do you find life? What are you loving? Where are you going?
There is rational, intuitive, and empirical evidence to believe that the universe was created in time by a transcendental power that is the source of all value, meaning, purpose, and so on. Martin Heidegger asked, “Why is there something rather than nothing,” which is not a question about a possible cause for an observed effect, but is a question about the underlying cause of any possible existence at all. The Scriptures reply: “For God’s invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature from the creation of the world, have been clearly perceived, because they are understood through what has been made, so people are without excuse” (Rom 1:20).
Yeshua repeatedly took the role of a “stumbling block” to test people’s response to his ministry and message. Most people were offended at Him, of course, and in the end Yeshua was crucified for the sake of their offenses. After His death, the cross itself became the scandal of faith. The Apostle Paul referred to the “offense of the cross” which he did not want removed. But what is the “offense of the cross” and why is the proclamation of the crucified Messiah a scandal (σκάνδαλον) to Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles?
It is written in our Scriptures: “Above all else guard your heart, for from it flow the springs of life” (Prov. 4:23). The Hebrew text for this verse is emphatic. We are to guard our hearts vigilantly, just as a prison guard or warden might keep watch over a prisoner. The phrase translated “above all else” (mikkol mishmar), literally means “more than anything that might be guarded” a construction used to intensify the command to exercise vigilance. Plainly put, this verse commands us to watch over our heart more than anything else.
The last month of the 
Shabbat Shalom chaverim. In this “Daily Dvar” broadcast, based on 
We are instructed to look for small miracles, everyday “signs and wonders…” In the Torah we read: “And you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.” (Deut. 8:10), which the sages say implies that whenever we derive benefit or enjoyment from something we are to bless (i.e., thank) God for his goodness.
In our Torah reading for this week (i.e., 