In 1901, Miller Reese Hutchinson patented an electrical hearing aid.

Up until the early 1900s, people who suffered a loss in hearing had to rely on ear trumpets and hearing tubes that were designed to amplify sound. Early hearing aids took on many styles. Some were large and cumbersome; others were smaller in an attempt to make them inconspicuous. Some were inexpensive, made from materials like tin, while others were crafted out of silver.

However, all the devices operated on the principle of collecting sound from a relatively large area and funneling it into a smaller space. As the sound moved into a progressively smaller space and into the ear, the sound strengthened. Hearing tubes served to conserve sound energy by restricting it to a smaller space as it moved from a sound source to a person’s ear.

In the 1890s, inventors wanted to create a hearing device that would be more powerful than trumpets or tubes. Miller Reese Hutchinson was the first to patent a practical electrical hearing aid in 1901. Hutchinson’s hearing aid used carbon to transmit sound. Although it caused a lot of static and sound distortion, the electrical hearing aid indeed provided more powerful amplification. And it was the basis for the modern-day hearing aid.

Although such devices are undeniably helpful in assisting people in hearing, there is no man-made device that aids in listening. Jesus made a great distinction between hearing and listening. On several occasions Jesus referred to people as having ears that did not hear (Matthew 13:14, 15). They heard what Jesus was saying, but because they had closed their hearts to his message, they didn’t obey it.

Jesus talks about a different kind of hearing that requires listening with your mind and your heart. It means taking time to reflect on what God’s Word says and then to act on it.

Do you hear Jesus now?

Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand! (Mark 4:9).

To Do

Spend some time listening to Jesus with your mind and your heart. What do you hear him saying?

Also on this day

Today is America Recycles Day.

1806—Explorer Zebulon Pike spotted the mountaintop that became known as Pikes Peak.

1849—The first U.S. poultry show opened in Boston.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.