Monday, September 9, 2013

Did you hear something?!


Every once in a while you come across one of those passages that really just grabs your attention and slows you in your tracks. You know the type that causes you to pause and consider the text a little more deeply, to think a bit more intently. For instance, when Jesus says that many will come saying “Lord, Lord” and He’ll tell them to depart because He never knew them (Matthew 7:22-23). Or how about when He states how there is a narrow way that leads to life, and few find it (Matthew 7:14). Another example for me is where Solomon warns that there is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death and destruction (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25).

So this past weekend I came across on of those types of passages. Of course I had read it before but since I hadn’t exactly selah’d on it in a while, it seemed to hit me afresh. The scripture I’m referring to comes from John 12:27-30. To set it up for you, Jesus’ soul is distressed because His arrest and crucifixion is looming ever closer. With the shadow of the cross darkening the hour, Jesus asks the Father to glorify His name through all He is about to endure. Then suddenly, amazingly, a voice of affirmation descends from heaven. God clearly spoke! “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

Notice what happens next. The audible voice of God was observed by those gathered, but they quickly reasoned it away as something else. The crowd definitely heard something. But they apparently weren’t sure what they perceived. Was that thunder? Did an angel speak to Jesus?! Then we notice our Savior points out something terribly significant: the voice was not for Him but for them… And yet, somehow they missed it.

So why does this passage trouble me? Answer: because I don't want to be that crowd - so busy, so preoccupied with life that I fail to hear the Divine speak. I wish to avoid being so scared that I dismiss God’s clear declarations for something else. See, this story requires me to ask myself some important questions. Is the Lord showing me something that I’m failing to see? Are my spiritual ears clogged? Is my heart enlightened to see the Spirit’s leading?

Here’s the deal, sometimes like with Elijah, the Lord chooses to get our attention through the gentle whisper instead of the spectacular (1 Kings 19:11-12). However, in this passage from the Gospel of John, we see something from the magnificent end of the spectrum. God’s voice was confused for a boom of thunder! Not exactly a low whisper, huh?

If the crowd was anything like me, it wasn’t that they missed His voice. They just wish they had. They were scared to death to acknowledge it as truth because it clarified Jesus' identity as the Messiah. So, have you heard Him correctly? Perhaps you too are frightened to move forward. Jesus as Savior is pretty sweet! Jesus as Lord means I’ve got to hand over the keys and surrender my agenda. Doesn’t sound like much fun (especially since I’m a control freak)… How will this work anyway? It’s uncomfortable. I mean, why would God call me? Use me? I’m not qualified. I’m not ready. I just plain don't want to! We could go on and on and on.

The truth is that Christ came to call the shots. He was sacrificed in our place to take our every burden and truly set us free. He came to destroy our strongholds, to liberate us from all that hinders, even from ourselves. May we not dismiss the Divine but have the courage and clarity to hear the summoning Savior. Might we enter this week alert and in tune with the Spirit so that our lives might bring glory to the Father. Praying we make much of Him… 


No comments:

Post a Comment