DEFILED EARS

“The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back” (Isaiah 50:4-5).
Note the last verse: Jesus was awakened every morning by the Holy Ghost. And the Spirit attuned His ear to hear the Word of His Father. When Christ testifies, “I was not rebellious, neither turned away back,” He is saying, “When I was on earth, I was taught what I should say, do and hear. And I never turned away from it.”
Beloved, I need this kind of spiritual wake-up call every day. I must have a reminder from the Holy Spirit, “David, close your ears to all slander, gossip and filth. Keep yourself from being defiled.”
Jesus’ own disciples had defiled ears. On one occasion, He told them, “Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men” (Luke 9:44). He was saying, in other words, “Pay close attention, because I’m about to give you an important revelation. I am going to be crucified. Now, let that sink deep into your ears. It’s something you need to know.”
So, how did they react to this? Scripture says, “They understood not this saying” (9:45). Why couldn’t they hear what their Master was telling them? Because their ears had been defiled by self-interest. Immediately we read, “There arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest” (9:46).
Here is proof positive that defiled ears cannot receive the deeper revelations of God’s Word. These men couldn’t hear Jesus’ voice, even as He stood before them in the flesh, speaking to them plainly. Instead, Scripture says, “It was hid from them, that they perceived it not” (9:45). I have to wonder: Would the disciples’ experience at the crucifixion have been different if they had been able to hear Jesus?
The truth is, anyone who is engrossed in his own interests cannot see that fact about himself. And if he did, he wouldn’t admit to it. That’s why the disciples couldn’t hear what Jesus was telling them. They were so self-centered, so bent on boasting about themselves, they couldn’t hear the voice of Christ.