Take Heed What Ye Hear
C. Hodge, D. D. Mark 4:23-24 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.… I. FAITH COMETH BY HEARING. This means — 1. Faith comes from knowledge, i.e., there can be no faith without knowledge. "How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?" 2. It means that the living preacher, as opposed to mere instruction out of books, is the great means of producing faith. This does not mean(1) That God does not employ His written Word, etc; (2) Nor that the proclamation of the gospel is the only method of making the gospel heard, and thus of producing faith. 3. It means that the instruction by the ear, as coming from a living preacher, is the ordinary method of salvation. Proof from Scripture and experience. II. WHY IS HEARING OR THE LIVING PREACHER NECESSARY? Why may not books and Bibles answer for the conversion of men? 1. The sufficient answer to the question is the Divine appointment. 2. Because from the constitution of our nature, what is addressed to the ear has more power in arousing attention, in producing conviction, and exciting feeling, than what is addressed to the eye. 3. There is a law of propagation of Divine life analogous to the propagation of vegetable and animal life. So in the Church it is the general law that the spiritual life is communicated through and by living members of the Church. III. TWO INFERENCES FLOW FROM THIS TRUTH. 1. That we should hear for ourselves, and cause others to hear, the gospel, not being content in either case with books, to the neglect of the living teacher. 2. That we should be careful what we hear and how we hear. (1) The object of hearing, viz., salvation, spiritual edification must be kept in view, and be our governing motive, not pleasure, not criticism. (2) The mind must be prepared for the reception of the truth. The Scripture tells us how (1 Peter 2:1; James 1:21). This with prayer includes our duty as to hearing. With this will be connected laying the truth up in our hearts, and practising it in our lives. (C. Hodge, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. WEB: If any man has ears to hear, let him hear."