And calling all the crowd to Himself, He said to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand.
Christ now turns not only toward the Pharisees, but toward all the people. This matter concerned not only a dispute with the leaders, but everyone’s spiritual life. His call is twofold: “listen” and “understand.” That is, the truth must not only be heard with the ear, but received with the mind and the heart. Human traditions often complicate religion and draw people’s attention to details. Christ is now preparing to reveal a truth that frees from that tangled condition and brings a person to the true center of the issue: the heart. This call of His is always timely. If we want to understand the true nature of holiness, we must listen to Christ’s voice with full understanding.