13:14Matthew 13:14

In them is fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy of hearing without understanding and seeing without perceiving, for many heard Christ's teaching and saw its meaning yet did not grasp it.Ms 26, 1898, par. 8+2 It was spoken after the parable of the sower when the disciples asked why He taught the multitude in parables, and He answered that it is given to the disciples to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven but to them it is not given, while the disciples' eyes and ears are blessed for seeing and hearing what prophets and righteous men desired to see and hear.Lt 226, 1907, par. 13–14 That blindness and deafness was self-imposed by willful unbelief and deliberate closing against the truth, not caused by Christ, for though He gave great light their hearts were set on covetousness and worldly attachments and they refused to receive what convicted them.ST Jun 30, 1881+1 He had first taught plainly, but when truth took no root He taught in parables to awaken inquiry and impress truth on willing hearts, while veiling its clarity from prejudiced hearers who would misuse it and hiding its treasures from those without love for truth.COL 20.2–21.1+2 The same willful blindness rests upon professing believers today who hear without understanding and see without perceiving, not from lack of evidence but from pride, selfishness, conformity to the world, and unwillingness to be directed in righteousness, bringing condemnation by the very light and privileges they neglect.Lt 24, 1882, par. 12–14+2

The prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled in those who heard the teaching of Jesus without understanding it and saw its meaning without perceiving it.Ms 26, 1898, par. 8+4 Their failure came from hearts grown dull and insensitive, ears unwilling to hear and dull of hearing, and eyes they themselves had closed, resisting the understanding that would lead them to turn to God and be healed.Ms 26, 1898, par. 8+3 This blindness was not caused by Christ, for he gave great light and further explained prophecy, but they closed their own eyes because their hearts were set on covetousness and worldly attachments.Ms 30, 1898, par. 11–14 Though convicted, feeling the truth and God's love and seeing the steps toward conversion, they refused to receive the truth, and those who reject the Word and its warnings are accountable for that rejection.Ms 30, 1898, par. 11–14 The Jewish people had abundant evidence that he was the Messiah, but rejected the testimony because accepting him would require giving up cherished traditions, selfish practices, and preconceived opinions, leaving them unable to receive the treasure of the gospel present among them.13MR 129.2–3+1

The verse belongs to the parable of the sower, which portrays the different tendencies and responses of human hearts to the teaching of Christ and the classes he taught.2SP 241.1–2+1 His teachings were seed to be cultivated, and heavenly truth could be gathered as treasure by minds and hearts that desired light and knowledge.RH Jul 2, 1908 The parable explains why his ministry had limited immediate results, since people were free to accept or reject him and were not forced or compelled to believe or obey.2SP 241.1–2+1 It was spoken after the parable of the sower and the seed when the disciples asked why he spoke to the multitude in parables.Lt 226, 1907, par. 13–14 He answered that it is given to the disciples to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven but to them it is not given, for whoever has to him shall be given and whoever has not from him shall be taken away even what he has, therefore he speaks in parables because they seeing see not and hearing hear not neither understand.Lt 226, 1907, par. 13–14 By contrast the disciples' eyes and ears are blessed for seeing and hearing what many prophets and righteous men desired to see and hear and did not, because the Father hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.Lt 226, 1907, par. 13–14

The Pharisees understood the parable but pretended not to, with an affected and deliberate refusal to perceive, shutting their eyes and ears and making their hearts unreachable.2SP 236.1–2+2 Their willful ignorance and self-imposed blindness kept their hearts from being reached and brought retribution for willful ignorance.2SP 236.1–2+1 The treasures of the gospel are hidden from those who have eyes but do not see and ears but do not hear, fulfilled in the blindness of the Jews who had the treasure house of all knowledge in their midst yet did not know it, like a man in need who sits to rest over hidden treasure at the roots of a tree and does not know it is there.Ms 48, 1898, par. 2–3 Because heart had grown gross and eyes and ears were dull and closed, he spoke to them in parables, and their hearing without understanding and seeing without perceiving kept them from seeing with eyes and hearing with ears and understanding with heart and being converted and healed, the same hiding seen when he wept over Jerusalem that in that day the things belonging to its peace were hid from its eyes.Ms 48, 1898, par. 2–3 Yet many who heard his teaching received and treasured it, and the audience included intelligent and cultivated people from many walks of life, none of whom could refute his words.2SP 241.3 Paul later applied the same prophecy to hearers who refused the truth despite clear arguments, while some others accepted Jesus.SLP 278.1

The closing of eyes and ears was self-imposed, brought on by willful unbelief and deliberate refusal to receive truth, not caused by Christ, and those who affected not to perceive kept their own hearts from being reached and brought retribution upon themselves for willful ignorance.ST Jun 30, 1881 Great light had been given and prophecy further explained, yet hearers closed their own eyes and grew dull of hearing because hearts were set on covetousness and worldly attachments.Ms 30, 1898, par. 11–14 Though convicted, feeling the power of truth and the love of God and seeing the steps that lead toward conversion, they refused to receive it, and all who reject the Word and its warnings are held accountable for that rejection.Ms 30, 1898, par. 11–14

The Jews had been convinced by words and works, yet pride, self-righteousness and unbelief kept them from acknowledging the Messiah or admitting their need of a teacher, and demanding further signs would not have changed that refusal, leaving them unconverted and unhealed.2SP 277.1–2 They had abundant evidence, but acceptance would have required giving up cherished traditions, selfish practices and preconceived opinions, so they rejected the testimony and remained unable to receive the treasure of the gospel.ST Jan 18, 1899 Those wise in their own estimation and puffed up by vain philosophy hear and see without understanding spiritual truth, failing to discern the hidden treasure including the beauty, power and mystery of the plan of redemption.COL 104.3

Hearts like unproductive soil cannot give root to heavenly truth, for self-delusion and a sense of superiority lead to rejecting goodness, suspecting the pure, condemning others and remaining spiritually blind.ST Dec 3, 1912 That soil is hopeless and profitless, where exalted self claims all faith, honor and love while supposing others at fault, speaking strong hard words of reproof and condemnation like nether millstones that crush hope and courage.ST Dec 17, 1894 The goodness manifested in true Christians puts roots of bitterness in such hearts whereby many are defiled, leaving them full of evil thoughts, suspecting even the purest and making a man an offender for a word.ST Dec 17, 1894 Hearing and seeing without understanding also comes from turning from the source of truth and using Scripture to defend human traditions, when distorted interpretations by leaders obscure truths God made plain and lead to denial of essential teachings.CT 438.3–4

Light had been given but was not received, so darkness rested upon hearers who blinded their own eyes and closed their own ears lest they be converted and saved, picking at little flaws and drawing minds away from solemn truth.Ms 2, 1889, par. 10 As with the Pharisees, failure to hear and see comes when hearts and ears are not receptive and Satan obstructs spiritual perception, and more evidence will not help until there is a converted heart and mind.21MR 297.1–298.3 Unbelief paralyzes all powers of mind and soul, and clinging to dependence on own merits keeps justification by faith and the righteousness of Christ from being understood.Lt 85, 1889, par. 14–18 Attentive hearing with desire to know truth and a teachable unprejudiced mind opens understanding, so the soul gains real possession of truth, is sanctified through it and personally accepts the truth God sends through His messenger.Lt 85, 1889, par. 14–18 Hearing and seeing without understanding or perceiving comes from perverted senses, a warning that applies to those who adopt the outlook of transgressors of God's law.STBk 123.2

Jesus had first taught plainly, yet many let the truth take no root, so He spoke in parables to awaken inquiry and impress truth upon the heart, and those willing to know divine things could understand, with those open to the Holy Spirit grasping their meaning more fully.COL 20.2–21.1 He used parables to expose the hypocrisy and evil deeds of the Pharisees while giving their spies no grounds to have Him arrested and stop His work.4RED 81.1–2 He used varied illustrations to teach important truths to people of different experiences and to bring particular truths home to particular groups, so that His teaching reached many kinds of minds and did not overlook even the humblest.2SP 253.2–3

Christ used parables to rebuke sin without causing personal offense, though hearers could still misinterpret His words, since hearing the gospel does not ensure understanding when the enemy's suggestions and insinuations weaken the words of life and unprepared hearts fail to receive truth and bear fruit.Lt 140, 1903, par. 11–13 With the Pharisees and Sadducees He veiled the clarity of truth because they would misuse what He revealed, while He spoke plainly to His disciples, showing that truths presented to prejudiced people unprepared to receive or understand them may close their ears rather than lead them to truth.GW92 191.3–192.2 He hid great truths under similitudes so that persons without the truth or the love of it, misled by their own tempers and gratified inclinations, could not know His doctrines.Lt 24, 1882, par. 7–11 An honest and pure heart will discern them in proportion as the Word is understood and received into a good and honest heart, and in proportion to faith through close connection with God which opens and quickens understanding, not through learning.Lt 24, 1882, par. 7–11

The unfruitful hearers who hear and do not understand are the skeptical, the superficial, or the secular, determined not to be convinced in unconquerable obstinacy, deceived and self-conceited and blinded by prejudice so that they neither hear nor understand the plainest declaration nor discern the moral glory of truth or its practical personal application to their own hearts, lacking the faith that overcomes the world so that the world overcomes them, not knowing the time of their visitation and grieving Christ's Spirit away, yet met by Christ with pity and with anger at injustice and wrongdoing.Lt 24, 1882, par. 7–11 He gave His lessons in parables because this was the only way He could reach people blinded so they could not see the uselessness of the multitudinous traditional ceremonies constituting their religion, though He greatly desired to open their blinded eyes.Ms 56, 1902, par. 9 His use of figures and parables also kept His teaching from provoking opposition from the Pharisees.CNA 132.3

Hearing without understanding and seeing without perceiving kept hearers from seeing with eyes and hearing with ears and understanding with heart and being converted and healed.Ms 48, 1898, par. 2–3 The treasures of the gospel were hidden from those with eyes that did not see and ears that did not hear, fulfilled in the blindness of the Jews who had the treasure house of all knowledge in their midst yet did not know it, like a man in need resting over hidden treasure at a tree's roots without knowing it is there.Ms 48, 1898, par. 2–3 Because heart had grown gross and eyes and ears were dull and closed, Christ spoke in parables, and the same hiding appeared when He wept over Jerusalem that in that day the things belonging to its peace were hid from its eyes.Ms 48, 1898, par. 2–3

People whose hearts have grown unreceptive can hear Christ's words without understanding and see without perceiving their meaning.Lt 13, 1898, par. 6–8 This judgment applied to prejudice against Jesus, and it applies when prejudice against God's servants closes the heart to God's work.Lt 13, 1898, par. 6–8 Continuing in such resistance leaves a person unable to receive truth and be converted, whereas those whose eyes see and ears hear are blessed.Lt 13, 1898, par. 6–8

Hearing and being affected by truth do not by themselves bring understanding or lasting faith.TCBMP 140.1–142.1 Some harden hearts through evil habits and choosing inclination over duty until they lose regard for truth.TCBMP 140.1–142.1 Others receive it joyfully but lack depth and stability, so when trial comes or truth exposes faults and calls for sacrifice they turn away rather than be changed by it.TCBMP 140.1–142.1 Still others accept truth while worldly cares, love of riches, pleasures, and honors choke it until hearts turn from truth.TCBMP 140.1–142.1

Some listeners were stirred by Jesus' teaching, but worldly cares, temptations, and unfavorable surroundings made impressions fade back to indifference, while others began a holier life and kept the teaching in mind.2SP 234.1–2 Some dimly grasped His words yet the words took root in hearts and later bore good fruit, while others listened from curiosity or desire for excitement.2SP 295.1 For three years there was little visible fruit from the seed Jesus sowed, though He knew the hearts into which He cast truth.4RED 18.1 Nicodemus considered His teaching and works with deep interest but did not publicly acknowledge Him, yet some who heard heeded His words so the seed took root and grew into faith in Jesus as Redeemer, even when other hearts set against heaven's light heard and saw without understanding or accepting.4RED 18.1+1

The willful blindness brought retribution for willful ignorance and self-imposed blindness that kept hearts from being reached.ST Jun 30, 1881+2 People can hear teaching and see its meaning yet fail to understand because they deliberately close themselves to it, and the Pharisees' affected refusal to perceive made their blindness self-imposed.ST Jun 30, 1881+1 They understood the parable but pretended not to, closing eyes and ears and making hearts unreachable, though they could recognize the truths illustrated when parables exposed hypocrisy and evil deeds while avoiding grounds for arrest.2SP 236.1–2+1

Those professing to obey truth yet failing to walk in its light fulfill the prophecy by hearing without understanding and seeing without perceiving.CE 140.2+1 Having great light, blessing, opportunities and privileges with no saving use brings condemnation by those very privileges, with heart waxed gross, ears dull, and eyes closed lest they be converted and healed, under the same sentence as Chorazin and Bethsaida, while walking in light brings increased light.CE 140.2+1 In the near future it will be seen who walked humbly in obedience and who walked in sparks of their own kindling to lie down in sorrow, so mind and heart must now be opened to heaven-sent rays.CE 140.2

The instruction of the chapter is a warning to be carefully heeded, bearing on standing acquitted before the judgment seat of Christ with character free of spot or stain.Lt 317a, 1905, par. 6–8 Hearing and seeing may still leave understanding absent, and there must be guarding against being blinded by human sophistry or mockery of sacred things.Lt 317, 1905, par. 7–9

The same willful blindness rests upon some professing present truth who do not understand the marvelous work by which God confirms His word nor perceive the workings of His Spirit wrought by His power.Lt 24, 1882, par. 12–14 This is not from insufficiency of evidence but because waywardness and corruption of heart keep from honestly weighing evidences, sin has hardened hearts, and conformity to the world has clouded conceptions of divine things.Lt 24, 1882, par. 12–14 Pride, selfishness, and vanity have closed ears and blinded eyes lest appeals of the Spirit arouse attention and command assent, for there is unwillingness to be directed in the path of righteousness that leads to the city of God.Lt 24, 1882, par. 12–14

The verse applies to people in positions of responsibility who persist in false principles and human inventions opposed to truth until unable to recognize wrong in their practices.Lt 54, 1895, par. 1–5 The fulfillment in the Jews extends to those in important institutional work after generations of following false theories and principles opposed to truth while human ideas and inventions are given supremacy.SPBC 177.5–6 The same blindness can characterize people entrusted with important institutional responsibilities.Lt 55, 1895, par. 16–17 Even rulers and counselors taught the plan of salvation can hear its explanation yet lack personal experience of turning from sin, receiving Christ's righteousness, and bearing God's likeness.SPBC 189.2+1 Controversy and discussion alone cannot enlighten them; they need to look to Christ in faith, be converted, receive a new heart, and have eyes opened to understand.Lt 55, 1895, par. 66–67

The church does not know its own moral character and spiritual state as God views it.TBC1882 66.1 Though clear definite light has shone on her pathway and calls her to account, she does not understand what she hears nor perceive what she sees.TBC1882 66.1 She rests unconcerned as if the sign of God's presence were upon her sanctuary, while talents are unimproved, fruit is imperfect before God, and light has become darkness, so weighed in the balances of the sanctuary she is found wanting.TBC1882 66.1 She professes to know God and believe truth but denies Him in works directly adverse to the principles of truth and righteousness professed.TBC1882 66.1

Spiritual blindness among teachers and ministers in Christ's day is repeated now, having eyes but seeing not and ears but hearing not lest there be conversion and healing.Lt 4, 1889, par. 85–86 It means idolizing own opinions and being governed by preconceived ideas rather than a plain Thus saith the Lord, refusing to be convinced while Satan beclouds perceptions and hardens the heart.Lt 4, 1889, par. 85–86 The converting power of God must come upon ministering brethren, since many of the people are far in advance of them and souls' highest eternal interests depend on rightly understanding the present work.Lt 4, 1889, par. 85–86 Those described will not give up their own ways to work for a backslidden church and point sinners to the Lamb of God.Lt 4, 1889, par. 85–86

Willful blindness blocking conversion and healing marks those who exalt self instead of Jesus and try to rule God's heritage and compel brethren's conscience, having eyes but seeing not and ears but hearing not.Ms 21, 1896, par. 13–14 True grace puts self in the dust and exalts Jesus, giving modesty, meekness and lowliness of heart, diligent earnest work in Christ's school, and an opened expanded heart through the love of Jesus, while self must be vigilantly guarded with constant watchfulness lest it rule.Ms 21, 1896, par. 13–14 Seeing without seeing and hearing without understanding describes people entrusted with sacred work who cannot discern its sacredness because will is not on God's side and they do not love truth, so truth has no sanctifying refining influence.Lt 124, 1899, par. 12–14 With gross hearts and no care to be converted from error, all surrounding light becomes darkness so they call good evil and evil good and their testimony is unreliable.Lt 124, 1899, par. 12–14 They dishonor God's work by remaining in it until separated, with darkness closing about the sensual, proud, careless, and truth-opposers ending in the lost cry that harvest is past and the soul unsaved, gathered as tares for last-day fire.Lt 124, 1899, par. 12–14

Having ears but hearing not and eyes but seeing not means having a heart that cannot feel for those perishing without Christ and the truth.Lt 5, 1898, par. 19–22 It describes those who heard the last message of mercy yet do not understand the curse soon upon nations knowing not God nor see the countless army passing to perdition into last-day perils without knowing its visitation.Lt 5, 1898, par. 19–22 Instead of throbbing with Christ's heart in deadly earnest to warn, reprove, and rebuke with longsuffering and doctrine as agents responsible to God and stewards of grace, they remain careless and self-loving and make no effort to save souls.Lt 5, 1898, par. 19–22 Leaders' spiritual insensibility and lack of living faith hindered God's work because they resisted the Holy Spirit's leading and counterworked plans they should have supported.Lt 15, 1911, par. 4

People can hear God's word yet fail to understand it when hearts are inattentive or absorbed in worldly things.COL 56.1–2 Resistance to the Spirit makes them neglect the word and leaves hearts hard, preventing truth from taking root, and they are responsible for this condition, yet it can be changed through repentance and effort in Christ's strength.COL 56.1–2 Hearing a discourse does not by itself ensure its teaching takes root; the seed must be cultivated through personal effort and the heart softened by God's Spirit.6T 68.1 Presenting evidence and theory alone may leave hearers without understanding unto faith, whereas proclaiming Christ as Saviour and His redeeming love helps seed take root and bear fruit.GW 158.1

The heart is a garden where good or bad seed is sown, and truth requires prepared soil just as natural seed requires prepared ground, with no at-once harvest from raw ground.ED 111.1–2 Diligent persevering labor is required in preparing soil, sowing seed, and cultivating the crop, with the garden of the heart cultivated, soil broken by repentance, and evil growths choking good grain uprooted.ED 111.1–2 As thorn-overgrown soil is reclaimed only by diligent labor, so heart evils are overcome only by earnest effort in Christ's name and strength, with sown seed picturing Christ's death and springing blade the resurrection.ED 111.1–2 The word of truth is to be sown among people in every setting including poor soil, and the sower must not stop because some falls on poor soil or results are not seen at once.7T 35.3 The parable distinguishes wayside, stony, and thorny hearers from those nourished in truth, warning not to separate people prematurely lest those who might grow be harmed.3T 114.1

A heart as hard as a beaten highway or path may seem beyond reach, but Christlike personal ministry can soften it so truth takes root.COL 57.1–2+1 Even clear pointed words that cut to the heart may be heard without immediate understanding or visible effect, yet sown truth remains to spring up and bear fruit to God's glory in saving souls, revived in many attentive listeners after Christ's crucifixion and resurrection and repeated for future generations to the close of time.ST May 2, 1878 When the teacher's work is wrought in God, lessons linger even in the most careless students until the Holy Spirit waters the seed so after many days it springs up and bears fruit.STSE 97.2

Christ as divine Teacher sowed truth with care, anxiety, self-denial, and continued sacrifice, and followers must have Christ's mind, not weary in well-doing but sow and trust God to quicken it.TBC1872 111.1 Even when hearing does not at once bring understanding, seed may lie dormant in a cold worldly selfish heart until grace convicts and awakens it to bear fruit, and workers are to do their work and leave results with God as co-workers with Christ and angels.TBC1872 111.1+1 God prepares hearts to receive the divine message despite prejudice and false zeal so they welcome it with joy, and seed can take root when prejudice is weakened and people become more receptive, as after prayer meetings build confidence.HRP 10.1+2

The heart is to be prepared as soil to receive God's Word, and parents help prepare it by cultivating children's minds and forming correct habits.CTBH 67.3+1 Words should be chosen wisely and truth taught persistently while a child is still outside Christ, since children's minds are especially impressionable so good seed planted early in receptive soil can bear fruit unto eternal life.4T 499.2+1 Cultivation, garden work, and contact with nature also aid youth by giving change from abstract lessons, health to the nervous child, and lasting impressions.CT 186.3–187.2 People hear aright when a teachable worker who walks with God and has been with Jesus presents truth as living reality in the soul's inner sanctuary, holding forth words of life with Christ's echo in demonstration of Spirit and power so people hear the joyful sound and God speaks to hearts through the consecrated servant who lifts up Jesus and is beloved by those for whom he labors.CE 141.1–142.1

Books of science and philosophy with partly hidden thorns of skepticism, vague fanciful stories, and Scripture books mixed with fanciful human interpretations sow seed growing to infidelity seen in human depravity.CT 186.3–187.2 The same danger stands before present hearers not to shut out rich light and glory but to labor to receive God's blessing instead of blinding eyes and closing ears.Ms 2, 1889, par. 10 Light had been given Christ's hearers but they would not receive it, so darkness was upon them as they blinded their own eyes and closed their own ears lest they be converted and saved, picking at little flaws and drawing minds away from solemn truth.Ms 2, 1889, par. 10 Truth sown in the heart calls for a heart that will receive spiritual truth.CH 372.3–373.1