Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 13:13-16

"Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And unto them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand; And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive: For this people`s heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of hearing, And their eyes they have closed; Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And should turn again, And I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear." — Matthew 13:13-16 (ASV)

Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which says, By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

It is a terrible thing when God gives people up to spiritual blindness, dullness, and hardness, but it does happen. If you hear the Word and refuse to receive it, you harden your heart to that extent; and if you continue to do so, you will gradually lose the capacity for understanding the Word. Take heed what you hear. O my dear hearers, I am afraid that many of you are not aware of the solemn responsibility of hearing the gospel, and of the terrible peril of having your ears made dull and your heart made hard!

I am responsible for preaching to you faithfully, but you are equally responsible for hearing what is preached. Let us not waste any opportunity that we have of hearing the Word, but use it wisely and well so that we may be able to give a good account of it before God in our fruitfulness. Now, if the Saviour's main design in the use of parables had been that people should not understand him, he could have achieved that purpose better by not speaking at all.

But see how mercy blends with justice and gives them another opportunity of hearing the Word. They might have come to Jesus even as his disciples did, asked him questions, and he would have explained the truth to them. If any of you today hear anything which you do not understand, go to the Lord about it in private prayer, and he will explain it to you. I tremble lest any of you should hear the Word and not receive it, and yet be content. That is the worst state of all for anyone to be in—may God save you from it!

But as for you who know the Lord, blessed are your eyes, for they see. Those are blessed eyes that can really see; eyes that cannot see are a trial, but blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. It is nothing but the grace of God that can make our ears spiritually hear. He who made the ear can alone make an open passage from the ear to the heart. If you have received this blessing, be very grateful for it, and bless the God of grace for giving it to you.