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Years ago I had to do a listening
exercise. We had to listen to someone for 1 minute and summarise what they’d said
back to them. A doddle! I was a pastor, of course I
could listen. Didn’t I always listen to my wife and children? After 15 seconds
I began to sweat. I had so many things rolling around my mind - I was trying to
listen but I was thinking about how I would summarise what was being said, and
what I would say when my turn came, how I’d be a failure at what I should be
doing. I could hear her talking but couldn’t listen.
Last Sunday we heard how easily it
might be to miss God when he comes. You might say that’s
impossible! If a dragon invaded your house you’d certainly know it. The Jewish
people knew they’d never miss the Messiah - the promised King! Prophets, the
Pharisees and scribes spoke of his coming, everything pointed to him coming. They
wouldn’t miss their promised King!
Now it is easy to miss a dragon in
your house - ask any 4 year old if their parents have seen it hiding in the
cupboard. But actually God never intended to come like a dragon or a monster or
a bogey man.
You might think that I’d start by
saying ‘When God comes we’d better listen ‘cos He’s
so demanding!’ but the amazing thing about the message of Advent is that He
isn’t! He purposely came in such a way we could miss him and not hear
Him!
That’s why it’s so important to listen
for him and listen to him.
He comes as the unexpected one - who we
shut out ages ago and never thought we’d hear from again! That’s God’s way.
Though he was expected when it came
to it he surprised everyone who was involved.
John 1 and other gospels are full of
the irony of the missed opportunity!
·
He
is the light in the darkness yet the darkness hasn’t accepted it.
·
He
was in the world and the world didn’t recognise him.
·
He
made the world itself and each person he spoke to was made and lovingly moulded
by Him yet they didn’t recognise him.
·
He
came to his own family - those who had been talking to him over the centuries -
who had the scriptures, who should have been listening - and these people did
not receive him.
John the Baptist
preparing the way for Him, preparing the hearts of the people for Him. He told them how great Jesus was,
who was even then standing among them and you do not know! - one of the saddest comments in the gospels – “Among you stands one you do not know!” (
John came so that the nation would
recognise him, he pointed him out to some of his own
disciples, but admitted that he himself didn’t recognise him John 1: 31ff. John was
called to show them Jesus - tell them what he was like and what he would do.
But their senses were unresponsive to Him.
It was as Isaiah had prophesied - Isa 69:9-10. They turned a deaf ear to the Lord.
In the face of this how much we need
to listen to Jesus - when he calls us to ‘Listen and understand’ - ‘He who has
ears to hear - let him hear!’
He comes as a whisper in the night.
That’s God’s way.
He could come in glory breaking the
rocks with his power. However, he would also refuse to dominate with the
earthquake, wind and fire and inhabit the still small voice instead.
One day I was on top of a mountain 2
kilometres high able to see the shore line nearly 40 kilometres away. Silence -
except for my mouth chewing an apple, my breathing and the rustle of clothes
and other noises which drowned the silence. And when I stopped al,l that I heard things in the
silence that I couldn’t hear before. The magical wind playing in the tree tops,
the falling of a pine cone, the bird song a mile away. You have to learn to
listen to the whisper.
Like my listening exercise I had to
learn to get out of the way, stop drowning the voice with myself.
·
Jesus
came as a whisper to Herod - and he missed it. He tried to make lots of noise
to silence it.
·
Jesus
came as a whisper to the people of
·
Jesus
came as a whisper to the people of
·
Jesus
came as a whisper to
And he comes to us as a whisper -
and we miss him if we’re not careful.
·
He
passes by as quiet hope lost in the roar of hopelessness.
·
He
passes on as undemanding love drowned out by the clamour of hate, revenge and
bitterness.
·
He
goes out of earshot as the breath of life consumed by the fear of death.
Have you heard Him? Have you listened to Him? Have you responded to His quiet insistent
call?
He comes as the undeserved one
That’s God’s way.
John was a pious man! Not because he
smelt more than most, though he probably did! He was devoted to
the Lord, he was obedient, he was resistant more than most to the
pressures to conform and he stood out even against Herod and the
powers that be.
Yet John knew that he didn’t deserve
the presence or blessing of the Messiah. - I’m not worthy to untie his boot
straps! v27. If he felt like that what chance have I got?
What chance have we got?
When Peter met with Jesus early in
his ministry he said ‘Leave me alone - I’m a sinful man’ (Luke 5:8)
Also Isaiah when he saw the power of
God in His glory in the temple. Isa 6.
Paul felt the same - the worst of
all sinners, failing to do the good he wanted, doing the evil he loathed.
Yes, we’re unworthy of Him, but
it was for those who know they’re unworthy that he came. He came for
the prostitute, tax collector, poor and anyone who we’d say you wouldn’t get a
look in. Often these recognised him rather than the religious people.
But I find all too often even these,
who his heart reaches out to so much, can be so taken up with their failure and
unworthiness that they also miss him!
One of the invitations we use most
frequently at communion is ‘Come - not because you’re strong but because you
are weak, not because any goodness of your own gives you a right to come but
because you need mercy and help. Come because you love the Lord a little and
would like to love Him more.’
That’s why we need to listen to
Jesus when he says - ‘Come to me all you who are weary and I will give you
rest… I came to seek and save that which was lost…. And when he tells the story
of the prodigal son received back and the lost sheep returned.
When He comes we need to listen
more.
He comes to have the final say
That’s God’s way.
John tells us that Jesus is the Word
- God’s self expression in human form.
·
While
the Pharisees preached the dead letter - Jesus came as the living Word.
·
In
a world of so many voices He is the only Word.
·
In
a world of views and opinions He is the authoritative and definitive Word –
Luke 9:35.
·
Where
humans can only develop ideas from former generations and pass them on to the
next, He is the first Word and he is the final Word.
John the Baptist told us to follow
the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, to listen to Him or we’d
miss Him!
That’s why we need to listen to
Jesus when he says ‘I will come as a thief in the night.’
When He comes we need to listen more
and more.
Have you heard? Have you listened? Have you responded to His gracious and loving call?