When Jesus Says, “Are You Still So Dull?”
There’s a moment in the Gospels that feels uncomfortably relatable.
Jesus looks at His own disciples—the ones who have walked with Him, listened to His teaching, watched miracles unfold—and asks a blunt question:
“Are you still so dull?”
(Matthew 15:16; Mark 7:18, NIV)
Oof.
Not exactly a warm-and-fuzzy verse we put on mugs or scripture cards.
And yet… if we’re honest, it’s one many of us could hear echoed into our own lives.
Not because we don’t love Jesus.
Not because we don’t want to follow Him.
But because, sometimes, we just don’t get it.
What Does It Mean to Be “Dull”?
In these passages, Jesus isn’t calling His disciples stupid or careless. The word dull points to a slowness of understanding—a spiritual fog that keeps us focused on surface-level things while missing deeper truth.
The disciples were hearing Jesus’ words, but they weren’t letting them sink in. They were listening… without fully perceiving.
And if we’re honest, there are areas where we, as Christians, can be dull too.
We Can Be Dull to God’s Presence
We pray. We read Scripture. We attend church.
But still—
We rush through our days unaware that God is near.
We look for Him only in big moments, answered prayers, or dramatic breakthroughs, while missing His quiet presence in ordinary life. We overlook the way He sustains us, nudges us, comforts us, and walks with us moment by moment.
Sometimes we don’t recognize God—not because He’s absent, but because we’re distracted.
We Can Be Dull to Our Own Hearts
We’re quick to examine everyone else’s behavior but slow to reflect on our own.
We justify patterns God is gently trying to expose.
We ignore convictions because addressing them feels uncomfortable.
We call it “being busy” when it’s really avoidance.
Like the disciples, we can focus on the external—what we’re doing, what others are doing—while missing what God wants to transform within us.
We Can Be Dull to Grace
This one may be the most painful.
We know, intellectually, that grace is a gift.
But practically? We still live as if we have to earn God’s approval.
We carry guilt God has already forgiven.
We replay failures He has already redeemed.
We struggle to extend grace to ourselves and others, forgetting how generously it’s been given to us.
Sometimes we’re dull not because we don’t know the truth—but because we haven’t fully believed it.
We Can Be Dull to What Actually Matters
We stress over things that won’t last.
We chase productivity, approval, comfort, or control.
We let worry consume energy meant for trust.
Meanwhile, Jesus keeps pointing us back to what matters most: love, faithfulness, humility, obedience, and connection with Him.
The disciples wanted quick clarity and easy answers. Jesus wanted transformed hearts.
And often, so do we.
The Good News About Being “Dull”
Here’s the part I love most.
Jesus didn’t walk away from His disciples when they didn’t understand.
He didn’t shame them.
He didn’t replace them.
He didn’t give up on them.
He taught them again.
He explained patiently.
He invited questions.
He stayed with them while they grew.
That same grace applies to us.
When we’re dull, God doesn’t discard us—He draws us closer.
A Gentle Invitation
Maybe instead of bristling at Jesus’ words, we can let them become an invitation:
Lord, where am I missing what You’re showing me?
Where have I stopped listening deeply?
Where do You want to sharpen my understanding—not with condemnation, but with love?
Spiritual growth doesn’t come from pretending we already understand everything. It comes from humility—the willingness to say, “Teach me again.”
And the beautiful truth is this:
God is always willing.
If you’ve felt weary, stuck, distracted, or spiritually foggy, you’re not alone—and you’re not disqualified. You’re simply being invited to slow down, listen more closely, and let God renew your understanding.
Don’t grow weary in the learning.
Don’t grow weary in the waiting.
Don’t grow weary in the becoming.
Even when we’re dull, God is faithful.
Closing Prayer
Lord,
Thank You for Your patience with us.
Thank You that when we are slow to understand, You do not turn away—you lean in.
Search our hearts and gently show us where we’ve grown dull, distracted, or resistant to what You’re teaching us. Help us to hear You more clearly, to recognize Your presence in our everyday lives, and to receive Your grace fully—not just in our minds, but in our hearts.
Where we’ve been weary, renew us.
Where we’ve been stubborn, soften us.
Where we’ve been afraid to look inward, meet us with compassion and truth.
Teach us again, Lord.
Open our eyes.
Sharpen our understanding.
And help us walk forward with humility, trust, and perseverance.
We don’t want to just hear Your words—we want to be changed by them.
Amen.