Tag: listen

Hush Be Still

Mark 2 Comments

Mk 4:39 “Hush, be still.”

Summary Notes
What did Jesus say?

When Jesus said,”hush, be still”  He was commanding the storm to put on a muzzle and to be silent.

Why would He say this?
Charlevoix Harbor
One obvious application of the command, “Hush, be still.” is to be certain to take Jesus with you physically in the boat when you are anticipating a storm!  You had better head for shelter if that is not possible. The Charlevoix City Marina is an excellent choice for protection against the storms of Lake Michigan. It is a large harbor with 69 slips and as you see from the picture, it has distinct pier lights.
More lighthouse images can be found in the Photo Gallery.  Click here see why I like lighthouses.

Jesus decided to cross the Sea of Galilee in a boat. His 12 disciples and an unknown number of other disciples went along in other boats. Some of them were still undecided about Jesus in general.  They did not realize that Jesus was the agent of creation.  The words of God made the world – Genesis 1.  Jesus is the physical embodiment of the Word of God – John 1:1-14.  Therefore, Jesus had full authority to command nature at will.  He was and is THAT powerful. If these disciples were to become future leaders they needed to know about Him without a doubt. 

I am like everyone else, created in the likeness of God.  Therefore, my words also carry power.  I must be careful how I use them!

Click here for my personal application and your comments link …or scroll down for my full notes…

Command 188: “Hush, be still.”
REFERENCE:  

Mk 4:39

RECIPIENT:  

Mk 4:39a And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea…

Mt 8:26b Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the se…

Lk 8:24b And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves…

CONTEXT:

See also Mt 8:23-27 and Lk 8:22-25 include this event and the fact that a rebuke of the elements was spoken but do not record the command.

Mk 4:35-39 On that day, when evening came, He *said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 38Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea…

Mt 8:23-26a When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. 25And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” 26He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?”

Lk 8:22-24a Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.”  So they launched out. 23But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. 24They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”

COMMAND FULL TEXT AND IMMEDIATE RESULT:  

Mk 4:39 “Hush, be still.”  And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.

RESULT:  

Mk 4:40-41 And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

Mt 8:26b-27 Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. 27The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

Lk 8:24b-25 And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.  25And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”

MY  COMMENTS AND NOTES:
Who Then is This?

Jesus is the agent of creation.  Genesis 1 records that the world and all creation was made through the words of God, “Then God said…”.  Jesus is identified in John 1:1-14 as physical embodiment of the words of God.  Therefore, Jesus had full authority to command nature at will.  He was and is THAT powerful.  

At least some of the disciples were still unconvinced of Jesus’ deity when this incident happened.  The story recounts that Jesus’ closest 12 disciples and other disciples in other boats were present in the storm.

A reconstruction of a first-century boat based on an ancient boat excavated along the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Photograph by Todd Bolen. Photo © BiblePlaces.com
The Sea of Galilee 

The Sea of Galilee is unique .  It is the lowest freshwater lake in the world at 700 feet (213 m) below sea level.   It is small by comparison to other large freshwater lakes.  Being only 13 miles long and 8 miles wide with a surface area of only 64 square miles (166 km2), it is less than 1% of the area of Lake Ontario which is the smallest of the American Great Lakes.  

The lake is infamous for its sudden fierce storms. It is in a basin surrounded by mountains.  Wind currents and temperature differences at times cause torrents of wind to build up quickly over the surface.  Dangerous waves of up to 10 feet can to occur on the lake.  Before modern weather forecasting mariners were at risk if they were caught in the middle of the lake during such a gale.  

My Words

Jesus had the power and authority to command the physical elements with His words.  Genesis 1:27 states God created men and women in His own image.  Is it then unbelievable  that my words also have the effect of shaping the physical reality of the world around me? I think of it this way.  All human activity begins with a desire and thoughts.  Thoughts and desires are completely intangible until they are embodied with language – words. It is through words that my intentions, either good or bad, give rise to plans and then to actions.  The result of action over time is what brings about the changes in physical reality.  When my words are spoken they can bring about progress or disaster,  healing or hurt to those around me.  

My words indeed have power.  Consider the quote from Henry Ford; If you think you can’t (do a thing) you are right!”  If I think things like, “If it were not for bad luck I’d have no luck at all”, or “I’m too stupid to learn (fill in the blank) then I am defeated before I begin.  Henry Ford also said, “If you think you can then you can.”  Of course he left out the planning, time and effort part, but the statement is true.  I think this is why it is so very important to train my mind to think and to speak good, productive things.  The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:8 to dwell on whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute and on anything excellent and worthy of praise.

When I think and speak good things it changes my attitude and promotes the desire for good things to happen and with time and effort good things do happen!

DEFINITIONS:  Key Greek Words – Removes ambiguity of the Bible text

hush:  G4623  σιωπάω  see-o-pah’-ō  –  silence, involuntary stillness

still:  G5392  φιμόω  fee-mo’-ō  –  to muzzle

MY PERSONAL APPLICATION: I encourage you to make your own application and please share it in the comments

My thoughts and words have power to shape reality. Whether I think and speak of productive and good things or of defeat and poverty, it changes my attitude and desires to affect the results of my efforts. Over time, a positive or negative reality is the result of my words.  Therefore, I will make the effort to read, watch and listen to good things so than my thoughts and words will have better results.  

RETURN TO COMMAND

© 2020 Christopher Carlson

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB

Please share a comment, question or perhaps another application for this command of Jesus.

Take Care What You Listen To

Mark 6 Comments

Mk 4:24a “Take care what you listen to...”

Summary Notes
What did Jesus say?

Jesus said to pay attention to what I allow myself to hear.  He also said to pay attention to how well I listen.

Why would He say this?
A lighthouse is faithfulness to consistently say "yes" (on) and "no" (off).
Photo: Dawn Carlson
At night the Tawas Point light is known to flash white for 4 seconds. A mariner will recognize the light as the Tawas Point light and no other. 
But suppose a lighthouse keeper, on the advice of someone other than the United States Lighthouse Service, convinced him or her to put a red lens over the light or to changed the flash pattern from 4 seconds to 2 seconds?  (A light house keeper never did this and never would do such a thing!)
The lighthouse is a source of absolute positional truth for navigation. If that absolute truth were in doubt then you can just imagine how, in the days before GPS, mariners would be confused.  They would be imperiled if they misinterpreted their position. They might run aground even in good weather!   Similarly, if a teacher of truth is in error then those who rely on the truth will be confused and in danger of being in error themselves.
More lighthouse images can be found in the Photo Gallery.  Click here see why I like lighthouses.

I think that Jesus was warning his followers to be very careful of what and who they listen to.  His expectation for them was to train others about everything He was telling them.  How tragic if His followers lost the true meaning of His teaching by listening to falsehood from false teachers and then began to train others in falsehood. Many cults, heresies and even genocides have occurred by people listening to falsehoods about what Jesus said and meant rather than heeding what Jesus actually said and meant. 

The phrase, “Garbage in – garbage out,” is in reference to computers but it also applies to the human mind.  Thoughts inevitably lead to attitudes and together they lead to actions and actions lead to results.  This is why it is so important to evaluate carefully what I listen to and to fill my mind with good things.

Click here for my personal application and your comments link …or scroll down for my full notes…

Command 187: “Take care what you listen to.”
REFERENCE:  

Mk 4:24a  also Lk 8:18

RECIPIENT:   To His followers, along with the twelve in private

Mk 4:10  As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables.

CONTEXT: A continuation of the Sermon on the Mount 

Mk 4:21-24a  And He was saying to them, “A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand?  22“For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light.  23“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”  24And He was saying to them…,” 

Lk 8:16-17  “Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light.  17“For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light. “

COMMAND FULL TEXT AND IMMEDIATE RESULT:

Mk 4:24b-25; “Take care what you listen to.  By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. “For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”

Lk 8:18  “So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.”

RESULT:  

Mk 4:33-34  With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it; 34and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.

MY  COMMENTS AND NOTES:
Be the Lamp:

After explaining the Parable of the Sower, I think Jesus was telling his followers that He expected them to be the lamp; that is they are to spread the knowledge and deeper meaning to the world of people.  Jesus had imparted the deeper meanings of His parables to them and He did so with the expectation that they would spread this meaning this insight to others, much as the light of a lamp is put onto a lampstand to shine light so that many people may see.  

Be Very careful About What and to Whom You Listen

I  think that Jesus was also warning his followers to be very careful of what and who they listen to.  He just got through telling them the true meaning of an important parable.  His expectation for them was to train others about everything He was telling them.  How tragic if they lost Jesus’ true meaning by listening to falsehood from false teachers and then began to train others in falsehood.  

I don’t think Jesus was saying not to listen to other people, but to be very careful to compare what they say to what Jesus said.  It is so easy to believe hyperbole or exaggeration or clever phrases if such ideas align with our mood, or cultural standards but not quite what Jesus said. Many cults, heresies and even genocides have occurred by people listening to falsehoods about what Jesus said and meant rather than heeding what Jesus actually said and meant.  

Pay Close Attention 

Luke’s version is slightly different from Mark’s version.  Luke records Jesus saying to take care in how you listen.  I think He is encouraging them to pay close attention so as to fully comprehend His meaning.  If His followers, soon to be teachers and leaders, only have a cursory understanding rather than a full understanding they will be susceptible to error.

If I fail to listen in order to comprehend what Jesus said and I instead listen with comprehension to others with divergent messages then I am sure to eventually appropriate others’ ideas rather than what Jesus said.  You have heard of the phrase, “Garbage in – garbage out,” This truth is in reference to computers but also applies to the human mind.  Thoughts inevitably lead to attitudes and together they lead to actions and actions lead to results.  This is why it is so important to evaluate carefully what you listen to and to fill your mind with good things.

DEFINITIONS:  Key Greek Words – Removes ambiguity of the Bible text

take care:  G991  βλέπω  blep’-ō  —  A primary verb; literally or figuratively to look at

what:  G5101 τίς tis  —  an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what as a direct or indirect question

how:  G4459 πῶς  pōs  —  an interrogative particle of manner; in what way? 

listen:  G191 ἀκουìω  ak-oo’-ō  —  to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf;  to attend, consider or to understand what is or has been said

MY PERSONAL APPLICATION: I encourage you to make your own application and share it in the comments

Guard your mind!  I must be careful to evaluate what I listen to in music, entertainment, news outlets, political speech, religion and philosophy; these things influence who I am as a person.  I will listen carefully to my mentors to fully understand them so as to implement what is good into my life and to those around me.  As a Christians, my highest mentor is Jesus and therefore what He said should be my standard for evaluating all others. 

RETURN TO COMMAND

© 2020 Christopher Carlson

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB

Please share a comment, question or perhaps another application for this command of Jesus.

185 Let Him Hear

Mark No Comments

 Mk 4:9  “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Summary Notes
What did Jesus say?

Jesus often told stories to express ideas.  He sometimes said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” when He was making a profound point.  I think that it was His way of telling those who heard Him to take the effort to understand what he was saying and let the implications change their thinking. 

Why would He say this?
Middle Island Light with Fog Horn
Photo: Dawn Carlson
If your ears hear the fog signal from Middle Island on a foggy day, you had better listen and understand that dangerous rocky shoals are nearby.  Middle Island Light Station is located in norther Lake Huron. It was fist lit in 1905. The fog signal building is on the far right of the photograph.  
This image and more can be found in the Photo Gallery.  Click here see why I like lighthouses.

I also think that Jesus used this phrase to signal to His disciples that they should ask Him what He meant.  Jesus’ command did not cause the disciple’s understanding.  They understood when they sought out the answer.  It was then that Jesus explained it to them.

I could be more curious about what Jesus is saying when I see this command in the Bible. I could also be more curious about what other people are saying to me all the time.  Over the years I have learned so much from people, even from those with whom I disagree, by making the effort to shut up and to listen and understand them.  I confess that I’m not always good at listening.  Listening like this is hard because I have to evaluate my own assumptions and ask questions while listening without prejudice.  I might even have to change my mind! 

Click here for my personal application and your comments link …or scroll down for my full notes…

Command 185: “…let him hear.”
REFERENCE:  

Mk 4:9b also Mt 13:9b
See also Mk 4:23 where Jesus made a related but different point.

RECIPIENT:

To a very large crowd and His disciples

CONTEXT: 

Mk  4:1-2-9 He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. 2And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, 3“Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. 6And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
9And He was saying… 

Mt 13 1-8 is a parallel account of this same event.

COMMAND FULL TEXT:  

Mk 4:9 “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Mt 13:9 “He who has ears , let him hear.”

RESULT:  
Jesus explains the parable:

10As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. 11And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN.”

13And He *said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? 14The sower sows the word. 15These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 16In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. 18And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

MY  COMMENTS AND NOTES:
Profound Points

Jesus often told stories, also called parables, to express ideas.  He used this command, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear,” when He was making a particularly profound point.    He was telling those who heard Him to take the effort to understand what he was saying and let the implications change their thinking. His explanation of this parable fully revealed His meaning.  

In six of the eight instances that Jesus used this phrase, He later explained a parable to His disciples in private.  Perhaps Jesus used this phrase to signal to His disciples that they should ask Him what He meant.  

What Does it Mean?

Here is the Literal Version of the verse:  Mk 4:9 LITV  The (one) having ears to hear, let him hear.

I am not a Greek scholar, but if I use the literal translation above and the definitions below then Jesus seems to be saying to me, “If you can hear Me (or, if you can read this), then make the effort to comprehend the implication of what I am saying.”  Jesus’ command did not cause the disciple’s understanding, but they were obedient to the command by simply asking Him to explain it to them; and He did.

What Do I Do With This?

Albert Einstein said that he was not any smarter than other men but merely “passionately curious.”  I could be more curious about what Jesus is saying when I see this command in the Bible. But I could also be more curious about what other people are saying all the time.  Over the years I have learned so much from people, even from those with whom I disagree, by making the effort to shut up and to listen and understand to what they are saying.  I do not listen like this all the time and I really should do it more often.  I think that the reason I don’t is because listening like this is hard.  To do it I have to evaluate my own assumptions and ask questions and listen without prejudice.  I might even have to change my mind! 

DEFINITIONS:  Key Greek Words – Removes ambiguity of the Bible text

(He who) has:  G2192  ἐìχω ekh’-ō   — to hold, such as in possession or ability

ear:  G3775 οὖς   ooce – the physical ear or metaphoric faculty of perceiving with the mind

hear:  G191 ἀκουìω  ak-oo’-ō  – to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf;  to attend, consider or to understand what is or has been said

MY PERSONAL APPLICATION: I encourage you to make your own application and please share it in the comments

I see two related applications.  First, to be the kind of person God would have me to be I need to understand what He says by asking Him in prayer and studying The Bible diligently.  Secondly, to be the kind of open minded person I desire to be, I need to first understand the ideas of  other people by asking questions and listening without prejudice.  Furthermore, I need to be willing to challenge my own assumptions and even change my mind!  

RETURN TO COMMAND

© 2020 Christopher Carlson

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB

Please share a comment, question or perhaps another application for this command of Jesus.

184 Listen to This

Mark 1 Comment

Mk 4:3a   “Listen to this!””

Summary Notes
What did Jesus say?

Jesus told a very large crowd to listen to a story He was about to tell. The story was about a farmer who planted seeds.  The seeds fell in different locations and therefore had different results from bad to good.  

Why would He say this?
Listen up if you hear a fog horn!
Photo: Dawn Carlson
Listen up if you hear a fog horn from Grays Reef! It is there in Northern Lake Michigan to warn mariners of their proximity to the dangerous rocks nearby. Mariners must listen for fog horns during foggy weather. Their ship and possibly their lives depend upon it.
This image and more can be found in the Photo Gallery. Click here see why I like lighthouses.

He told the crowd to, “Listen” in order to draw their immediate attention to His words and to consider their importance.  The story was about different people and how they process and apply what they hear.   Specifically, Jesus was talking about His Gospel Message.  However, any useful or life changing message has similar results.  Some people never really comprehend it; others receive it but only briefly; others receive and apply it but their practice is relatively short lived due to external adversity; then there are those who apply the message and prosper through it and even teach others.   

Click here for my personal application and your comments link …or scroll down for my full notes…

COMMAND 184: “Listen…”

Mk 4:3

RECIPIENT:  

A very large crowd.

CONTEXT: A continuation of the Sermon on the Mount 

Mk 4:1-2 He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. 2And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching…

Mt 13 1-23 is a parallel account of this same event but does not contain this command.

See also in separate context: Mt_21:33; Mk_7:14; Also see the account with the audible voice of God (The Father) Mk_9:7; Lk_9:35

COMMAND FULL TEXT:  

Mk 4:3a “Listen to this!”
Note that the words, “to this” are not in the Greek but were supplied by the translators. In their opinion the supplied words are implied by the text and help to render a more accurate English meaning.

RESULT:  

The story Jesus told:
Mk 4 3b-20 “Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. 6And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

9And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The story explained

10As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. 11And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN.”

13And He *said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? 14The sower sows the word. 15These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 16In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. 18And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

MY COMMENTS AND NOTES:

When Jesus tells me to listen, He is announcing that He is about to say something important and that I need to pay close attention.  Jesus knows the weakness of the human mind and that we are often preoccupied or easily distracted. Unless our attention is first fixed upon a single topic we will likely miss the communication of part or all of the content.  This is the reason people say, ‘What?” so often. After being spoken to, we hear the sounds but without our attention being fixed on the words we don’t understand the first part of what was said. Without the first part we often miss the context of the rest of the sentence and do not understand the full meaning of what is being communicated.  So, we say, “What?”

The Word and To Bear Fruit

I think that the “word” that Jesus spoke about in His explanation of the parable is specifically the Christian Gospel Message.  The Gospel is a life transforming message that is both temporal and spiritual.  It is about God’s love, sacrifice and the immediate saving of the individual’s soul and ultimately eternal life.  This very message is easily dismissed, thrown away or forgotten. But there are some who retain and apply the Gospel message to their lives and even spread it to others. I think that to “bear fruit” in this context refers to the personal growth of the individuals who do accept and apply the Gospel message to their own life and also influence others who come to accept the Gospel message through them.

Beyond the Spiritual

I think Jesus’ explanation also applies to other temporal life changing messages.  Messages of personal responsibility, hard work, consistent good character and many others are in the same ways easily dismissed, thrown away or forgotten.  We all have to be reminded again and again about what is right and how to act righteously and how to succeed in life. Many people will not accept sound advice.  But some people will apply the good advice they receive and the lessons they learn and will even teach others how to succeed in life.

DEFINITIONS:  Key Greek Words – Removes ambiguity of the Bible text

listen:  G191  ἀκούω   akouō   —  a primary verb; to hear (in various senses such as to consider what is or has been said or to comprehend or understand the sense of what is said)

MY PERSONAL APPLICATION: I encourage you to make your own application and please share it in the comments

In today’s Western culture there is so much information and so much distraction with technology, and we are inundated with so many marketing messages that we may not notice or recognize the most important messages being communicated to us.  When I need to verbally communicate something of particular importance I must ensure I have the full attention of the recipient. Saying their name or just saying, “Listen up!” can help greatly.  

Christian Application Beyond the Purely Practical

First and foremost I am to personally listen so as to obey what God says.  Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8 when He was  tempted.  Deuteronomy 8 states that man lives by every word of the Lord and not only by physical bread.  It goes on to say that to obtain true success, “… you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.”  Jesus’ parable and His explanation suggests that personal obedience to God is made complete when I teach others to do the same.

RETURN TO COMMAND

© 2018 Christopher Carlson

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB

Please share a comment, question or perhaps another application for this command of Jesus.

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