Afterwords -- how to listen
"Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.” (Luke 8:18)
“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.” (Proverbs 4:18)
March 13, 2024
Dear friends,
In our noise-filled, data-flooded, image-saturated world today, people often have to stop and say, "Wait, ...what?" We live such distracted lives surrounded by a deluge of sights and sounds. We hear without listening, see without understanding, and read without perceiving. How many of us scroll though the fine print of a new app -- without reading any of it -- in order to get to the bottom and check the "accept" box for the terms of service. As T. S. Eliot wrote, "It is for lack of wisdom, not lack of information, that the people perish."
Language comes from God, is used by God, and is a gift from God to humanity, being a vital dimension of his image upon man. Words mean something, words matter. In Luke 8 Jesus says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (8:8). The NET translates the imperative here as “The one who has ears to hear had better listen!” (Wait, ...what?) And after the explanation of his parable of the Sower, Jesus says, "Take care then how you hear..." (v 18). The NIV has it, "Therefore consider carefully how you listen." God's word is portrayed as a seed which gives life, and as a light which illumines our way. Not listening carefully results in barrenness and darkness.
Since words mean something, and words matter, we should realize how supremely God's words should matter to us. This chapter in Luke's gospel records the individual responses of people who "hear the word of God" (8:11-15), along with the various consequences. We may be tempted to dismiss this parable as pertaining only to evangelistic proclamation. But the word "gospel" is not used, but rather, the "word of God." Dullness of hearing and hardness of heart may afflict God's people, too. Verse 18, "take care then how you hear..." is addressed to all his hearers, including the disciples.
I believe that this parable of the Sower and the seed (and the soils) applies to all of us along the way. We should ask ourselves, how focused are we when we read the Bible? How attentive are we to sermons and biblical teaching? How much time do we give to meditating on God's words, or are we merely scrolling past those words quickly in order to check the "done" box at the end? Read the parable of the Sower again, and evaluate your own responses to God's word today, this week, this season in your life.
What we learn from this parable:
1) If we do not comprehend and retain what we've heard, there are forces that will remove it from our minds (8:5, 12)(cf 2 Cor 11:3; Heb 4:2). We must concentrate on God's word, and guard against distractions and diversions that would snatch away or pervert the truth of his words. How's your attention span these days? Can you concentrate?
2) We must internalize it, and go deep with his word (8:6, 13). Later Jesus will say, "Let these words sink into your ears…" (Luke 9:44) That's more than a casual hearing. For example, his word tells us to expect trials, and that not all of life will be happy-clappy. So, when trials come, if we have not internalized his word and are not prepared, we will certainly give up.
3) Cultivation of the heart is important -- we must protect what we've heard (8:7, 14). Write it down, journal it, memorize it, put it on cards, and pray about each truth. You must patiently tend the garden of your heart, for "cares and riches and pleasures" of this life can choke out spiritual growth, maturity, and fruitfulness. Proverbs chapter 4 echoes these truths...
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.
My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
(Proverbs 4:18-23)
4) Finally, we must be purposeful and intentional in bearing fruit for the Lord (8:8, 15) (cf 6:46-47). Right after this teaching, Jesus said, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” (8:21) Hearing and doing, both are important. Just like we sometimes sing, "Trust and obey, for there's no other way." When we read or hear a truth from God's word, we should be asking, "Lord, what do you want me to do about this?" (See also Luke 6:46-49.)
Our growth in the Lord is linked with our careful consideration and application of God's word. The passage concludes with a promise and a warning. We will grow and gain more -- knowledge, grace, insight, peace, experience of the life of God, fruitfulness, and the joy of the Lord. Or we will lose ground. I don't believe those truly saved ever lose their salvation, but we can lose a lot in this life -- our assurance, the peace of God, fruitfulness, maturity, virtue, reputation, good influence on others, and the legacy we leave behind. The point is, the Christian life is never static. We are moving forward, or we are sliding back.
FINAL QUOTE.
"The spiritual life, though mysteriously and untraceably implanted in humans by the Spirit, is nevertheless from the beginning bound to the Word of God. Just as a plant is bound up with the soil in which it is rooted and from which it draws its nourishment, so also the spiritual life is by virtue of its very nature bound up with Scripture." (Herman Bavinck)
That's it for this week!
Sandy
Image credit: photo above is by Eric Mok on Unsplash. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.