Don’t Scratch the Itch! – June 24, 2026
Read: 2 Timothy 4:1-8
Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 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. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:2-4,7-8
Don’t Scratch the Itch!
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
A man went to the doctor because his ear hurt badly. But the pain wasn’t even the worst part—the itching was! As the doctor examined him, he discovered something awful: there were bugs inside the man’s ear. While the man was sleeping, a fly had laid eggs there. That sounds disgusting, doesn’t it? But what made the problem even worse was this: every time the man scratched his itchy ear, he pushed the bugs farther inside. Scratching the itch only made the problem worse.
When something itches, we really want to scratch it. But Paul says the same thing can happen with God’s Word. Paul wrote a letter to a young pastor named Timothy, warning him that people would someday have “itching ears.” Paul didn’t mean people’s ears would actually itch. He meant people would look for teachers and pastors who would tell them exactly what they wanted to hear. Maybe someone wants to hear that their sins are “not a big deal.” Maybe they want to hear that it doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you believe something. Maybe they want someone to tell them they never need to forgive others or help hurting people. Paul says people sometimes look for “itch-scratchers”—teachers who make them feel good instead of telling them God’s truth. But scratching an itch doesn’t heal the problem. It only makes it worse.
We all have “itches.” There are parts of God’s Word that are hard for us to hear. Sometimes God tells us to confess sins we don’t want to admit. Sometimes he tells us to forgive someone when we don’t want to. Sometimes he tells us to love people who are difficult to love.
But God doesn’t want teachers who simply scratch our itchy ears. He gives us pastors, teachers, parents, and Christian friends who tell us the truth—even when it’s hard to hear. Why? Because God loves us too much to leave us trapped in sin.
May God give us preachers, not “itch-scratchers!” May they rebuke us when we need it, so our sins don’t destroy our faith, and may they always point us to the great gift of salvation we have in Jesus. That truth may not scratch our itch—but it heals our hearts, opens our ears to truth, and someday, will place a crown of eternal life on our heads!
Prayer:
When my ears itch, O Lord, I want someone to scratch them. Instead, bless me with people who will tell me your true Word. Instead of scratching my itch, heal my heart. Amen.
The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.
Questions for Younger Children
- In today’s devotion, a man’s ear was hurting horribly. Why did scratching make the problem worse?
- Paul talked about “itching ears.” What do you think that means?
Questions for Elementary Age Children
- God says people won’t “put up with sound doctrine.” That means they don’t want to hear what God really says. Why do people sometimes want teachers to tell them only what they want to hear?
- Paul said a “crown of righteousness” was waiting for him. What wonderful gift was Paul talking about?
Questions for Middle School and Above
- What are some things God says in the Bible that can be hard for us to hear?
- When we look for a church, what is the MOST important thing we should look for?
