Jesus does not mean that they must be bent on listening, but that, as they listen, they must be aware of what they hear and what they do not hear. The Israelite public does not come up to the mark by any stretch. It remains stuck in enthusiasm for a miracle worker on behalf of God. But when you listen to Jesus and weigh what he says, you discover that he is nothing other than “my Lord and my God.”1
24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.