Hearing Matters
Scripture Reading: Joshua 5-7; Luke 8; Psalm 82
After reading today’s passages, deciding where to focus was difficult. Psalm 82 has some rich New Testament connections, and Joshua’s encounter with the Lord at the end of chapter seven is incredible. Either of these would be worthy of deeper study. But since today is the Lord’s Day—and I assume many of you will be attending church—I settled on Luke 8, a passage especially relevant to this day of worship.
I have hearing loss. It has never been professionally evaluated, but I would say (and Monica would agree) that it is significant. I struggle to hear the voices of women and children, and higher-pitched sounds don’t register well. Noisy environments make things even harder. Over time, I’ve learned both the value of hearing and the challenges of not hearing.
Jesus, in Luke 8, has a lot to say about hearing. The parable of the sower is centered on it. In that parable, the fruitfulness of the seed—the word of God—is directly tied to how it is heard. It matters that we hear, how we hear, what we hear, and what we do with what we hear. No wonder Jesus said:
“Take care then how you hear.” (Luke 8:18)
Later in the chapter, when Jesus was told that His mother and brothers were outside waiting to see Him, He put an exclamation point on the importance of hearing:
“My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” (Luke 8:21)
With this in mind, here are a few ways you can pray today:
That your pastor will faithfully preach and teach the word of God—the seed that bears fruit.
That you and all who sit under the teaching of God’s word will hear well, with hearts like good soil—hearts that hold fast to the word and seek to obey it.
That the word of God will bear good fruit in the lives of those who hear it today.
That we will prove ourselves to be part of God’s family by the way we hear and respond to His word.
Hearing matters. May we not only be hearers of the word but doers also (James 1:22).
