He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." The Master seemed to have found that though some had ears that were not what an aurist would call deaf, yet they could not hear. He seemed continually to be testing the hearing of ears, by his words; and so, often proved that all "hearing ears" did not hear. To-day there are ears — and ears. The aurist will tell us of ears that are dulled, no longer sensitive to delicate vibrations. One cause or another may account for this condition. Sometimes they have listened to one sound so long and continuously that it falls and falls upon them unheeded; in fact, only cessation of the sound will rouse the ears to the fact that there has been any sound at all.
Have we not dulled ears among the students of Christian Science, to-day; those that have heard and heard the words of Truth and Life, from the lips of some patient, earnest worker who has dwelt among them? When for some reason the worker is called to another field, there arises a clamor for someone else to come and renew the sound,—so they can feel comfortable again, possibly be lulled to sleep once more. Perchance the teacher has made the mistake of permitting students to sit through class after class, and thus the habit of listening to the sound has been formed, and the students have ignorantly become "hearers of the word, and not doers." On the other hand, the teacher may have loved the sound of his own voice, the pleasant emotion of relating or detailing his "perceptions" to a slowly increasing audience, and thus may have so narcotized his hearers that they have mistaken the reflection of the teacher's self-satisfaction, for the peace of active obedience to Truth.
An aurist will tell, also, of ears having different pitch; so that the responsive vibration of one ear may return a note as G while its mate returns it as G sharp, and hence constant misapprehension or contradiction is going on. Did not Jesus find such ears? Has not every teacher of the Word of God, from his day to the present day, found such ears? How, else, account for the perversions and distortions of the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles, and of the Prophets before them? How account, today, for the perversions and distortions of the teachings of Science and Health? How account for the denominations, sects and factions all calling themselves Christian Scientists? It must be that the clear, pure, resonant note of Truth fell upon ears at variance.
Ears that return conflicting, contradictory vibrations, lead their owners to seek Science for ease in sense: or, perhaps, for opportunity to exercise a tyrannical domination of their own will over the eager, hungry, ignorant ones of earth who know only that they are dissatisfied, but not what will satisfy, and hence are ready to try anything that promises help. Such ears lead their owners to suppose that words of wisdom as they hear and repeat them, must be correct; so, instead of looking to further proof than their own ill-attuned ears, they become presumptuous. After presumption, comes anxiety, lest a true note strike the ears of listeners, and the presumption be thus uncovered.
Possessors of ears of different pitch, are also liable to grave inaccuracy in reporting words of teacher or of friend. Were these possessors not liable to report at all, the misfortune of ears at variance would not be so far-reaching; but eagerness to report, and to go about reporting, is a characteristic of this phase of abnormal hearing. Ears that hear not at all, are greatly to be preferred to ears that hear amiss.
Then, there are itching ears; a difficult condition to reach, the specialist will tell us. All sorts of ill-smelling salves or greasy liniments are poured in to allay the uncomfortable sensation. Sometimes the pure oil of Truth is scientifically applied, and the itching of the ears is thus healed permanently. Again, though this pure oil be applied, it is unscientifically done, the vile medicines so long used have not first been cleansed away; hence, the itching remains, and behold the result!—a Christian Scientist (?) with itching ears.
The ointment of gossip, the salve of slander, the liniment of tattle are by this class demanded without stint; and the itching increases to such a degree that the gathering of these ill-smelling appliances, or mis-appliances, becomes a mania. How often, to his amazement, one accustomed to the frankness and fearlessness belonging to honesty of purpose and singleness of heart, finds some innocent word or kindly act mixed with a lie as "base," and the compound thus obtained used for the relief of some desperate case of itching ears! What must be the condition of the heart of one having ears whose uneasiness can only be allayed by the use of these compounds of evil; misjudgment, folly, sin, untruthfulness, self-righteousness, gossip, slander, malicious tattle, envy, spite — the things out of which hell is made!
Again, there are ears that find hearing in itself painful; so pledgets of one kind or another are kept in them, to shut out sound. When it is the voice of Truth that is painful, then are used pledgets of pride, self-love or self-will; fear of the sneers of men; fear of abdicating a usurped throne, and letting the rightful ruler take his place; fear of acknowledging misapprehension of statements in Science and Health, or misinterpretation of Bible texts; unwillingness to admit some error of judgment, or to meet the exactions of Truth,—as to honesty in all our relations to fellow human beings, here and now; love of the things of sensuality,—as, lust of dress, social position, power, wealth, passion and appetites.
The things with which ears may be stopped to the voice of Truth are legion; but, when the things of evil are used to shut out sounds, it seems as though more sounds were shut in;— for such roarings and rushings, such whistlings and drummings follow, that to open or close the ears seems a choice of pains. When hearing the sounds of error is painful, however, the ears may be effectually stopped by the use of the one true pledget: "the will to do His will." Then, when the ears are closed to sense, and are becoming attuned to the harmony of Soul, Spirit, God, through the sweet stillness of heaven come the guiding words of Wisdom,—the golden speech that uplifts, regenerates, makes whole and brave and strong,—and the ears respond so correctly that their owners send forth clear, accurate, careful statements of Truth. From these, other "ears that hear" learn how to close to sense, to discord, to the "hearing of blood," and listen only to the "music of the spheres," the voice of angels, the Word of God.
Is there any remedy for dulled ears, ears at variance, deaf ears, itching ears, and ears filled with the things of this world? Is there a specialist able to heal us of our infirmity? Yes. When we acknowledge that we have the infirmity, and, as the Son of David passes by reach out and touch the hem of his garment, instantly our healing is begun. We will think that we are wholly healed that moment; but, as our open ears let the wonders of Divine Science find their way to the heart, it will seem that eternity is not sufficient to let our ears come to the perfection of the hearing that is of Soul. "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one!" For us then, there is one Voice, one speech; and the hearing is of the understanding heart, and "the answer of the tongue is of the Lord."
