Tag Archives: God

Hearts that Hear

How do I listen?  In what ways do I enable my heart to listen?  Or, possibly more important, how does my spirit listen?  How aware am I of the connection between my heart and my spirit so I can be more attentive to the promptings of my spirit?

We previously looked at the verse in Hebrews which said, the people did not consider the message of value because they did not combine it with faith (Hb 4.2).  This verse has several implications, but one implication is that the message we hear can actually lead us into a faith response – if we can understand how we listen.

The people did not combine faith to what they heard because they didn’t recognise the faith which came through the message they heard.  The message of God’s goodness and provision of redemption fell on deaf ears (so-to-speak) because the hearts of the people were hard (Hb 3.15).  Even though God’s words are Spirit and Life the people did not ‘hear’ because their hearts had been hardened through unbelief (Hb 3.19).

This raises a question for me.  Had their hearts not been hard, could they have responded differently?  If they had an element of unbelief, but had not yet gone fully into a hard heart, would they have responded differently?  It may be difficult to answer for that specific group of people.  But, I don’t think their descent has to be assumed as a general rule for all people.  Those people were unaware of ‘how to listen’ but I think the scenario could be different if someone had the smallest element of belief – even if it is mustard seed small.

I am convinced there is a link between belief and the response of the heart.  A heart that is sensitive to the different ways God speaks is able to listen, able to hear and able to choose to combine faith to what it hears.

What’s even more encouraging about this is that God has told us faith (belief) is not solely our responsibility.  The words of God are Spirit and Life, and when the soft heart hears the words of God, our spirit awakens to the essence and substance of God contained in the message and responds with belief.  This is, I believe, part of what happens when Paul says that faith comes by hearing (Rom 10.17).

 

Consider Carefully & Train the Senses

Giving careful consideration to how I listen is a challenge.  It’s a little bit like trying to identify how I think, or the way I choose one option over another.

In my lighter moments I think of the old Kung-Fu films I watched as a boy.  No matter what else was happening in any given film, there was always a scene in which the young apprentice was left dazed and confused by the wisdom of the Master Teacher.  Characteristically, the Master rarely explained himself to the apprentice, he merely waited until the apprentice was ready to hear the deeper pearls of wisdom.

I realise this analogy falls short on a lot of levels but there are similarities in what we’re discussing.  How we listen, how we understand the many ways we hear and perceive God, is a tool that will enable us to mature in relationship with God.

The author of Hebrews made a statement that is a little unsettling.  He told his readers that what he had to say was hard to explain because they (his readers) had become dull in their understanding (Hb 5.11).  He told them they were still in need of someone to teach them the basic elements of the word of God and went on to say they were unacquainted with the word of righteousness (Hb 5.13).

Imagine hearing that!  “Young Grasshopper, you are unfamiliar with the Word of God!  Because of your dullness, the things you must learn will be hard for you to understand.”

His statement in verse 14 is the one that has captured my attention.  “But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by practice…” (NRSV).   The Greek could be literally translated ‘faculties of perception’.  Another English version (NAS) translates this by saying, ‘having their senses trained’.

Whichever translation we choose to read, the significance of this phrase reinforces that practice and training are necessary if we are to grow into maturity.  If training and practice are required, there is an implication that we may not always discern correctly when it comes to hearing the Word of righteousness.  That means there is an element of trying to identify what we sense in our heart and being willing to learn from our mistakes when we don’t get it correct.  (A further implication is that those who lead have a responsibility to support, encourage and provide safe structures for people to grow in this.)

But regardless of what anyone else does, it is my obligation to engage in this training of my senses (faculties of perception).  I do so, not because I want to be the next Master of the Christian dojo.  I do so because I want to grow into maturity and deepen my relationship with the One whom I believe.  I do so because I want to be open to any and all the ways he may choose to speak to me.

 

Hearing the Word & Receiving the Seed

As we embark on the journey of recognising the importance of WHO we believe as opposed to WHAT we believe, the principle of applying faith to what we hear is a central component.

On one hand, since we’re more focused on WHO rather than WHAT, it can sound contradictory to say that we apply faith in the message we hear.  The question could be asked, ‘Shouldn’t we apply faith in God, rather than in the message we hear from God?’  But there doesn’t need to be any contradiction in this.

When God speaks, his message reveals an aspect of his nature.  Because of who he is, his message carries his life-giving essence and the substance of his Spirit (Jn 6.63).  This could be a reason the Apostle Paul said, “Faith comes by hearing” (Rom 10.17).

I think of the process in this way. When we hear the message from God the soft heart is predisposed to recognise the life and substance of God contained within the words we hear.  With the recognition of this aspect of God’s nature, faith is stirred within our spirit which enables the heart to respond in faith.  It’s as if the words of God contain the active ingredient which causes our spirit to respond with faith.  Remember, as we’ve discussed, faith is the by-product of belief.

In a few places, Scripture describes the word of God as the ‘seed’ of God (the Greek word used here is “sperma” [1 Jn 3.9]).  In the natural systems of reproduction, the role of the seed is to fertilise the egg.  Imagine that our faith is the ‘egg’ which is fertilised by the ‘seed’ of God.  When we combine our faith with the seed of God, a deeper awareness of his nature is conceived within our hearts.

In the natural, life must be cared for and nurtured.  In the same way, we need to learn how to nurture the newly received revelation in order to integrate it into our lives and decision-making.  It’s as if the newly grasped revelation needs to develop within the womb of our soul.

How Do I Listen?

Two of the gospel writers tell the same story in a slightly different way.  Mark writes that Jesus said, “Consider carefully what you hear” (Mk 4.24).  But Luke, in his retelling, writes the words of Jesus this way, “Consider carefully how you listen” (Lk 8.18).

The general context of Luke’s version is much the same as the context in which Mark tells the story.  In both gospels, Jesus is teaching that what is hidden will be brought out into the open so it is important to consider carefully how (or what) you hear.  Both authors even use the same Greek words for consider carefully (it can also be translated as “be careful”, or “pay attention”).

The difference between the two versions is in the grammatical construction.  Mark clearly uses ‘what’ and Luke clearly uses ‘how’.  The translations of these are not interchangeable nor are they usually interpreted the same.  So, it would appear, each author intended to communicate a different perspective on the same story.  Mark wanted us to think about ‘what’ we hear.  And Luke, wanted us to think about ‘how’ we hear.  Fascinating.

Before coming across this statement in the book of Luke I don’t know if I ever really gave consideration to how I listened.  Sure, I’ve thought about the mechanics of how – my employers have even paid for me to take personal development courses designed to help me become a better listener.  But somehow, I don’t think Jesus was indicating that he wanted us to use NLP strategies or reflective listening principles.

In the natural I can look at ways to break down the listening process. In the first part, we listen by hearing words which convey thoughts, concepts and ideas that articulate a message with a particular meaning.  The second part of listening, is when we use logic and reason to judge the validity and accuracy of what we hear against accepted principles or facts.

I’m also aware of times when I’ve been able to listen beyond the words of what someone is saying in order to understand the ‘heart’ of what they’re saying.  But, in these circumstances, I can often explain my ‘discernment’ by reading their non-verbal cues, listening to the tone of their voice, or asking Holy Spirit for wisdom to understand the person’s needs.

But, somehow, I don’t think that is what Jesus is getting at when he says to consider carefully how we listen.  Perhaps he is telling us to be a little more aware of how we judge the validity or accuracy of what we hear.  Perhaps he is warning us about the way in which we tend to filter what we hear through the paradigm of what we think we understand.

But, these considerations seem to put more emphasis on listening with the mind.  And in biblical perspectives, the heart plays a greater role in discerning than does the mind.  So, I’m left sensing that Jesus is saying something more.  I can’t help concluding that he is trying to get us to consider the role our heart plays in how we hear what God is saying?

 

The mind will usually attempt to break down what we hear into something we can easily comprehend or categorise.  We often seek understanding in order to have an explanation – and we often find a type of peace when we can explain something, or when it “makes sense”.

But the heart has a greater capacity for spiritual engagement; it has a different way of understanding.  The understanding of the heart often embraces ideas, concepts or principles that we cannot yet explain.  It is through this embrace that we discover more of the ‘peace that passes understanding’ (Phil 4.7).

Consider carefully how I listen.

 

Consider Carefully What You Hear

Even though we began by looking at this idea from the book of Hebrews, it was Jesus who established the importance of giving careful consideration to what we hear when he said, “Consider carefully what you hear” (Mk 4.24).

There is something about the way Jesus says this that causes me to want to slow everything down in order to think through what I’ve heard from him.  I feel a seriousness; a weightiness when I contemplate this instruction.  There is an implication that, once I’ve heard something, I have a responsibility to do something with it.  Once I’ve heard Jesus’ teaching, I have a decision to make.  It’s as though hearing the words of Jesus gives me ownership – I either accept them or reject them.  A part of me wants to ask if there is room or time for setting aside some of his instructions to deliberate later; but, at the same time, I feel that isn’t really an option I want to pursue.

Jesus made this statement just before he said. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you…whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him” (Mk 4.24-25).  So, he really is reinforcing the responsibility of using what we’ve been given – what we’ve heard.

What I’ve heard from Jesus must be believed, acted on and integrated into my life.   And, the more I put it into practice, the more I will get.  However, a decision not to put into practice what I hear results in losing what I had.

There is a part of me that reacts against this idea.  There is something about it that seems unfair.  Wouldn’t it be better to simply say that the amount of benefit one gets is in direct proportion to the amount one decides to use?  If I use less, then I get less.  If I use more, then I get more.  That sounds fair.

But that’s not how things work in God’s economy – especially when it comes to the teachings of Jesus.  Jesus’ words are much too valuable.  His message is far too important.

I recall the words of a pastor-friend who, when someone learns something new, says, “You need to use it or you’ll lose it”.

Maybe I’m taking this all a bit too personally.  Yes, Jesus spelled out these things quite specifically; there is no denying the seriousness of his teaching and it does tie-in with what was said by the author of Hebrews (see post).  But, rather than it being interpreted negatively, could it be that Jesus is giving us a motivation to listen beyond the surface of what we hear?  Could it be that he is encouraging us to dig more deeply into the content of what he is saying?

Just before Jesus tells us to consider carefully what we hear, he tells us that everything that has been hidden is meant to be disclosed and whatever is concealed is to be brought out into the light (Mk 4.22).

While we have a responsibility to obey and live up to what Jesus has commanded and instructed, the other side of the coin is that we have a responsibility to uncover the truths he has hidden within his words for us to find.

This sounds remarkably like what the Father said, “The secret things belong to God but the things revealed belong to man” (Dt 29.29) and “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter but the glory of kings to search out a matter” (Pr 25.2).

This perspective completely changes my understanding of Jesus’ original statement.  If we consider carefully, using the measure we’ve been given in order to search for the secrets that have been hidden for us to discover, then more will be added to us.  If we don’t consider carefully what we’ve heard, then we are not likely to search out the deeper secrets.  In this case, it’s as if we have considered the message of no value, because we have not combined it with faith.

Consider carefully what you hear.  Yes, it sounds weighty; but it also provides a clue to treasures buried within his words.

God Has Spoken By His Son

“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets…but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Hb 1.1-2)

For many years, God directed his people through the Prophets.  The people understood that the Prophets could hear God and declare God’s will and purposes to the people.   In fact, God would not do anything without first declaring it to the Prophets (Amos 3.7).

It is said of Samuel, that none of his words fell to the ground (1 Sam 3.19). This meant he spoke what he heard from God and didn’t exaggerate or embellish from his own perspective.  Consequently, what the people heard from Samuel, could be counted as from God and should be valued as such.  Over time the people paid less attention to what the Prophets had to say.

“…but in these last days God has spoken to us by his Son”.

But where God once used the Prophets to communicate to people, he has now spoken through his Son.  Where people only caught a partial image of his nature through the life and message of the Prophet, now we can see the fullness of his nature through the life and message of Jesus.  No longer do we hear about God through the way a Prophet repeats what God has said; now we are able to hear from God himself.

Jesus is the exact representation of God (Heb 1.3) and spoke what he heard from the Father:

  • …for I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me (Jn 8.28)
  • I can only say what I hear my Father say…. (Jn 5.19)
  • …my teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. (Jn 7.16)

And the people perceived something very different when they heard Jesus speak.  Perhaps it goes back to the tangible sensations we’ve mentioned, but the people were clearly able to discern that Jesus spoke as one who had authority (Mk 1.22).  This was in complete contrast to what they had heard – or didn’t hear – from the religious leaders of the day.

The words and teachings of Jesus contained so much life that people were drawn to him.  They recognised; felt; believed within themselves, that his words were ‘flawless’ (Ps 12.6).    People may not have been able to articulate what was happening inside them, but there must have been a lot of burning hearts among the crowd because even as they heard Jesus speaking people put their faith in him (Jn 8.30).

In these days God has spoken through his Son.  Putting faith in him means more than believing what he says.  Putting our faith in him means that we believe him.

The Life in Jesus’ Words

After one of Jesus’ teachings most of those listening, including many of his followers, left Jesus saying things like, “This teaching is too difficult to follow.”  Jesus asked the 12 disciples if they wanted to leave as well but Peter responded on behalf of the group saying, “Where would we go?  You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6.68).

There is something that happens within the person who hears the words of Jesus.  Although it is intangible it can be, at the same, very tangible.  The internal sense of weightiness, conviction and hope are all thoroughly tangible sensations that one can experience when the words of Jesus are heard.

The Prophet Jeremiah described the words of God as a fire in his belly that he could not contain (Jer 20.9).  Paul described the words of God as a purifying, cleansing water (Eph 5.26). The author of Hebrews said the words of God are ‘sharper than a sword that divides spirit and soul’ (Heb 4.12) And the disciples on the road to Emmaus recognised their hearts were burning as the risen Jesus spoke to them (Lk 24.32).

All of these sensations – these tangible manifestations within those who hear God’s words – are a component of what Jesus described when he said, “my words are spirit and they are life” (Jn 6.63).  The alive-ness of his words and the substance of his Spirit cause a sensation in us that is often difficult to describe – yet it initiates an experience that leaves an indentation in our thought process.

The words of Jesus do not just stir, burn or stimulate; they are an ongoing source of life within us affecting who we believe, the way we think and, consequently, how we live.

Words of Jesus

Jesus is the ultimate example of the power of words.  He is the living word – he is the WORD made flesh (Jn 1.1-3).  Jesus was with the Father during the creation process, and through him all things were created.  Is it a coincidence, then, that creation was brought into existence through the spoken word (Gen 1.3; Col 1.16).

Jesus told us that his words will never pass away (Mt 24.35).  How could they?  His words are Spirit and they are Life (Jn 16.13).  His words were not just sounds emanating from his mouth.     The very essence of his words was life.  Their very substance was spirit.  His words do not merely communicate life; they do not just contain life – they are life.  Because of this Jesus’ words do not, cannot, fade away or disintegrate.

His words are living and active.  From the moment Jesus spoke, his words have lingered in the realms of the Spirit; pregnant with creative power.  When we become exposed to those words, our spirit is quickened because the words are just as powerful today as when Jesus first spoke them.  They retain the fullness of his nature and carry the goodness of his promises.

Many have attempted to relegate the statements of Jesus to the mere sayings of a prophet, a philosopher or a wise teacher.  The only way one can relegate his words to this human level is through the hardness of our heart.  But no matter how hard it may have become, the heart that hungers can be made soft again.  Once alerted to the life-giving sustenance of his words, the heart quickly acknowledges that bread alone will no longer satisfy (Dt 8.3; Mt 4.4).

And that seems to be one of the main purposes for the words spoken by Jesus.  His intent was to help people hear, see and understand the Father (Jn 14.9).  One way he did this was by speaking only that which he heard the Father say (Jn 5.19).  And, because Jesus revealed and declared the purposes of God, His words that continue to linger will not return to him empty but will accomplish the purposes for which he sent them (Is 55.11).

Words

Words.  We use them all the time.  We use words to communicate; to express an idea, a thought or an emotion.  We use words to entertain; to sing a song, tell a story or share a joke.  We use words to conduct business; to promote a cause; to influence others.  Sometimes, we use words without fully thinking through the way others will hear the words – so we often must use words to clarify, to apologise or seek forgiveness.

Words are powerful.  Words create new realities; new possibilities.   Words can inspire, convey truth, elevate thoughts, ignite hope and impart faith.   Words can change someone’s demeanour; someone’s outlook; someone’s perspectives.

Words can build up and words can tear down.  The words we speak can discourage, distort truth, dampen hope, spark conflict, invite chaos and perpetuate fear.  In this context, the message of Proverbs is a stark reminder; “Life and death are in the power of the tongue” (18.21).

The power to bring life and death through the spoken word is available to all.  This power is a natural ability which carries a spiritual reality, which is true for those outside the Kingdom just as it is for those within the Kingdom.

But for those of us inside the kingdom, those within whom Holy Spirit dwells, the choice of words is even more important.  This is true for several reasons.  One of the main reasons is found in Jesus’ statement,  “It is from the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks” (Lk 6.45).

What are the reservoirs from which my words come?

Simon, Do You Love Me? (Part 6)

When I first realised that Jesus gave Simon the new name but didn’t seem to use it when he spoke to him, I found myself being a little confused; even a little uneasy.  Why give him the name and not call him that when you talk to him?   Why put the guy through that kind of confusion?

Now that I see the end of the story I am more settled, more at peace.  Again, much of this is my own surmising, but when we get to the final conversation between Jesus and Simon, it is clear that something very significant had taken place.

After the resurrection – and after Jesus had appeared to the Disciples a few times – Simon and some of the others were out fishing.  Although they had seen Jesus and experienced the breath-taking awe of his resurrection, I still wonder what was going through Simon’s mind?  How was he dealing with the fact that he had denied Jesus?

While they were in the boats Jesus showed up on the beach cooking fish that he ‘caught’ before the others dragged in another substantial catch.  After breakfast Jesus had a conversation that is often referred to as the re-instatement of Peter, yet Jesus continued to call him Simon.

Simon…, Simon…, Simon…

Three times Jesus asks, “Simon, do you love me?”  The Greek words used in this conversation (Jn 21.15-17) relay an increasing level of personal commitment; intimate, experiential knowing; and profound, godly love.  By using a progression of words which reveal a deepening of the meaning of love, Jesus is directing Simon’s attention more deeply into the very core of his identity and, therefore, the very depths of his relationship with Jesus.

It’s as if each question from Jesus reminded Simon of his three denials.  Each question about the level and type of love he had for Jesus forced Simon to face what was at the root of each denial.

“I don’t know him.”   …Simon, do you love me?

“I am not one of his followers!”  …Simon, do you really love me?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!!”   …Simon, do you truly love me?

After the third exchange Jesus told him of the kind of death Simon would undergo and then re-issued his invitation for Simon to follow him.  It’s as if Simon had to get to the very bottom of ‘Simon’ in order to become the ‘Peter’ Jesus knew he was.  Once Peter had gotten to that place, Jesus re-issued the call, “Follow me!” (Jn 21.19).

The power of Jesus’ mercy is striking.  He didn’t condemn Simon; yet neither did he ignore the denials.  But rather than give him a lecture, Jesus went straight to the heart of the issue.

Simon, do you love me?  You denied me because you were afraid.

Simon, do you love me?  You were afraid because there was a part of you that was insecure about my love.

Simon, do you love me?  There is a depth of relationship with me that can free you from the effects of fear, insecurities and desire for reputation.

Peter…. Follow me!