The differences are, hearing is a process of perceiving sound, while listening is more of a thoughtful attention to what is being said. Hearing is passive, you may hear it but not understand, concentration is not necessary. Listening is active and requires concentration.
Approaching the subject of Christianity and having ears. There are many references in the New Testament regarding having ears and not hearing, in some cases having eyes and not seeing. When Jesus spoke the parables of the mustard seed and yeast, both are tiny yet spread everywhere, thus the Kingdom of Heaven is like them. A tiny bit will go an exceptionally long way. However, prior to these parables he also spoke of a prophecy of Isaiah, “though seeing, they do not see, though hearing, they do not hear or understand.” Jesus answers the disciples question why he speaks in parables, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given you, but not to them.” He concludes Isaiah’s prophecy, “Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” Note as well that Matthew 13 begins with the parable of the sower which ends with “Whoever has ears, let them hear.
John the Baptist preached repentance Matthew 3:2, “repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near. 3:11 states that after Jesus was baptized, he “began to preach, repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near. 10:20, Jesus denounces the towns where he performed many of his miracles because they would not repent. Mark 1:15, “The time has come, he said, the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news.” When Jesus sent out the disciples 6:12, “They went out and preached that people should repent.” In Luke 5:32, Jesus says, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Did the disciples preach anything different?
Acts 2:38 we see Peter saying, “Repent and be baptized.” 3:19, “Repent, then and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out…” Acts 17:30, “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.” Acts 20:21, Paul states, “I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” Let’s dig deeper, Acts 26:20, Paul adds more, “For those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I have preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. 54 times in the NT the word repent is used in one form or another. Those who have ears, let them hear.
Jesus speaks of faith, repentance, that heaven is near, and against hypocrisy. For faith, he talks about the lack of it, or the hardened heart where the seed of faith cannot take firm root. While people with faith are healed or brought back to life. He preached repentance, why? Because the kingdom of Heaven is near. He spoke against hypocrisy because religious leaders of the time were putting too much burden on the people with all their manmade laws and expectations all the while living a life that was sinful. A life without true repentance. I find it fascinating that we don’t grasp this, or that we refuse to grasp the message. Before Jesus died and was resurrected, he preached repent for the kingdom of heaven is near. After his death and resurrection, the apostles preached the same message. We must repent from our sins. Who among my readers have sinned today? If you have, you need to repent to yourself, to God and to whomever you may have sinned against. No, not for salvation’s sake but precisely because of salvation. As Paul put it in Acts 26:20, “demonstrate their repentance by their deeds! Do we have ears and eyes, do we really hear and see?
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