Tag Archives: Following God

Listen but Do Not Hear

Living in the Spirit

September 5, 2021

Scripture Reading:
Mark 7:24-37

Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’ And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.‘ –Mark 7:31-37

Hearing or otherwise being able to take in information is essential for personal wellbeing and community engagement. I understand why the witnesses were so impressed with Jesus’ returning the deaf man’s hearing. The story may have an even deeper meaning. Jesus came to us to open our ears of faith to hear and follow his message, God’s message.

Phrases like he has ears but does not hear, appear multiple times in the Bible. For example, Isaiah 6:9, And he said, ‘Go and say to this people:
“Keep listening, but do not comprehend;
keep looking, but do not understand.”

The speaker, often a prophet, says, “You are not listening to God’s messages” and thus are not following God’s ways. Jesus came to open our spiritual ears so that we can receive and act on God’s messages.

We believe what we want to think, hear what we want to hear, and do what we want to do, whether it has anything to do with our relationship with God or not. We identify the idols that fit our desires and commit ourselves to them completely. Social media seems to be in a race to see who can distract the most people. That is not social media’s fault. It is our fault when we seek wholeness in all the wrong places.

These days of being isolated from much of the world have had many negative impacts, but we can turn that around by using this time to examine ourselves with God’s help. What is God calling me to do? Where am I investing my talents and gifts? Are the activities I do drawing me closer to loving like Jesus or driving me away from God? Finally, what am I going to do about any revelations I hear?

Prayer: O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee.
I give thee back the life I owe,
that in thine ocean depths its flow
may richer, fuller be*.  Amen.

*First verse of O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go by George Matheson Gohttps://hymnary.org/text/o_love_that_wilt_not_let_me_go

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

David’s Offspring

Eastertide

April 14, 2020

Scripture Reading: Acts 2:14a, 22-32

For David says concerning him,
“I saw the Lord always before me,
   for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken;
therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
   moreover, my flesh will live in hope.
For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
   or let your Holy One experience corruption.
You have made known to me the ways of life;
   you will make me full of gladness with your presence.”

‘Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying,
“He was not abandoned to Hades,
   nor did his flesh experience corruption.”
This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. –Acts 2:25-32

My Bible study group just finished an in-depth study of the life of David as we explored the Bible books of I and II Samuel. One thing I think we all agreed, David was fully human. He was also at most times fully engaged in living his life, whether tending sheep, playing the harp, dancing with all his might before the Ark of the Covenant, leading an army, sinning, or repenting of sin.

Because of David’s historical significance in the evolution of Israel as a powerful nation, Israel projected him, the anointed king of Israel, as the forerunner of the expected Anointed One–the Messiah, who was coming to save Israel. In Peter’s discourse quoted above, he draws from poems attributed to David in 2 Samuel 22:6 and Psalm 16:8-11, where David celebrates overcoming the onslaughts of death in battle as Peter references Jesus’s resurrection.

While not perfect, David had a rich and meaningful relationship with God from his youth. We, too, are called to such a relationship as we rise to follow Christ in building a world ruled by love as our ancestors in faith, those Disciples who picked themselves up at Pentecosts and initiated Christ’s purpose that is still our purpose today.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the courage to face each day with the common goal of loving like Jesus did until the whole world knows and lives that love. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.