Itching Ears

“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:3-5)

For some reason, in our corrupted, sinful world, the things that are unhealthy are always more attractive than the things that are healthy. That’s true for our bodies. For most of us, our bodies crave junk food. It’s challenging to chew down healthy fruits and vegetables. Sadly, that’s also true for our souls. Instead of the sound, healthy doctrine of God’s Word, people seek what their itching ears want to hear.

Don’t! Unhealthy additives don’t make food better for you. Instead, they make food harmful and train your body to reject what’s actually good for you. In the same way, adding the sinful thoughts of men to God’s Word doesn’t make it better. On the contrary, it results in a harmful message that ultimately leads people to reject what’s good and true. It’s dangerous to hear what your itching ears want to hear.

Yet, it’s so tempting. Nobody wants to hear that they are wrong. Nobody enjoys being told that they are sinful. Everybody loves the thought that we are good. Everybody wants to hear that we can do it on our own. That’s tempting, isn’t it? “Let’s forget about sin and guilt and imagine how good we are!”

That’s what we see around us, isn’t it? This “time” that Paul predicted has come. People no longer want to put up with sound doctrine. People find teachers who tell them what their itching ears want to hear. People eat up empty myths: “All you need is love.” “All gods are really the same.” “It doesn’t matter what you believe.” “You only live once!”

Do you? Is your spiritual diet what your itching ears want to hear or the truth of God’s Word? Are you asking, “What do I think?” or, “What does God say?”

Eternity is at stake! There’s no salvation outside of Jesus. Don’t listen to what your itching ears want to hear. Listen to what your hurting heart needs to hear: The true, healthy good news of Jesus!

Dear God, forgive me for seeking what my itching ears want to hear instead of seeking the truth of your Word. Heal my hurting heart with the good news of Jesus’ salvation for me. Amen.