Sunday Shorts: Listening, But Not Hearing

Mark 6:20 Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him. (NIV)

            Being a Scottish preacher in American churches can be quite novel at times. For some reason, folks like to listen to my Scots accent because they find it to be quite lyrical. I used to think this was a great thing and relished each time I was asked to preach in a different pulpit. Over the years, however, I realized that my accent could sometimes get in the way of the Gospel message. People in the pews liked to listen to how I preached but didn’t absorb the sermon. Sometimes at the church door after the worship service, someone would say: “I loved your Scottish accent, but I didn’t understand what you said.”

            King Herod must have felt the same with John the Baptist. The cruel king had imprisoned John for preaching against his marriage. Herod’s wife was greatly offended, so Herod had the fiery preacher arrested and thrown into a jail below his palace.

            Herod, however, did not neglect John. He liked to listen to the preacher, although he didn’t fully understand what John talked about. Perhaps the prophet preached on the Kingdom of God which Herod would think rivalled his own sovereignty. Or maybe John talked about repentance for being sinful which Herod totally ignored. Whatever the case, Herod missed his opportunity to be reconciled to God. He liked listening to John, but he never truly heard a word which could have changed his life forever.

            Some folks are like that, too. They know about Jesus and have perhaps listened to some of His teaching. Unfortunately, instead of fully embracing Him as their Savior and Lord, they just label Him as another historical holy man whose sermons were quaint and applicable to the past, but not relevant in today’s world. In other words, they listen but do not hear, which is why Jesus constantly told His listeners, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Point to ponder: Do I like to just listen to what Jesus had to say, or do I hear how His words challenge me to change my ways?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to be truly open to Your Gospel message and holy teachings. Challenge our lives so that we may change our ways by applying Your words in our daily lives. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Short devotion: Listening to Jesus - Luke 9:35

Luke 9:35      A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is My Son, Whom I have chosen; listen to Him." (NIV)

            Sometimes, instead of listening to Jesus, I listen to my own thoughts and ideas. I end up making foolish choices and stupid mistakes which Christ could have helped me to avoid. I thought that the older I got, the wiser I would become. That just doesn't happen. If I don’t listen to Jesus, I am not going to learn.

            I hear other people quoting Jesus, but not really listening or applying what He has said. It’s almost as if they have created their own fortune cookie Jesus who sagely expresses words of wisdom to justify their actions, choices, and decisions. I keep hearing things like “Judge not, or you’ll be judged,” or “Love one another,” or “Do unto others,” or even the apocryphal “We are all God’s children,” (which He never said). People misquote His words because they don’t read the Bible or truly listen to the Gospel. And what they don’t hear, they make up to suit themselves.

            When God candidly speaks to the three disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36), he does two things. Firstly, He reveals to them that Jesus is actually His Holy Son. Secondly, God commands them to listen to Him. We may not understand this at first, but what we have here is the true process of becoming and being a Christian. To be a Christian means that we have to believe that Jesus is God’s Holy Son. To remain a Christian, we have to keep listening to what He says, which we can only do if we consistently, studiously, and prayerfully keep reading the Gospels.

            So the challenge for all of us, including me, is this: Do I believe that Jesus is God’s Holy Son, and am I willing to listen to Him?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, You are God’s Only and Holy Son. Open our hearts and minds so that we may truly listen to You. Enable us to consistently make the time to continually read the Gospels. Help us to serve You in all of our decisions and deeds. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

The attached image is one of John’s latest Celtic type drawings called “Celtic Communion.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Communion.