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Published: 14 March 2014

Do people even use CB radios anymore? Did you ever have a “handle”? (That was your radio name if you didn’t know that…) My little brother’s handle was “Heavy Kevy in the Silver Chevy.” Those were the days my friends; CB chatter had a lot of specialized lingo that parallels text language today. You had to be “in” and be a “user” to know what was going on. If somebody wanted to talk to you they would call out your handle and ask if you had your ears on. It is actually a good phrase, especially as we think about the admonition of Jesus in Matthew 11. Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let Him hear!” He said something similar in the Sermon on the Mount and then again to the churches in Asia (Revelation 2,3). Having your ears on and having ears to hear are similar ideas. They both mean are you listening, really listening. And, when Jesus talked about hearing He meant actually doing something with what we hear. Hearing the truth without doing something with it is actually worse than never hearing it all. Hearing great truth and even knowing great truth does nothing to change our lives. It is when we do something with the truth that life begins. The scary thing about the passage we will study on Sunday is the revelation that there are consequences for refusing to hear. The ears of our heart are important and when we close them we shut out the life that God wants to give us. Jesus did more miracles and teaching in three cities of Galilee than anywhere else yet those three cities did not respond to God’s gracious invitation to change their way of thinking. The more light we have the more responsible we become...”wake up ears!” The more we obey the more light we receive. These are spiritual realities that require that we have our ears on!

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Published: 06 March 2014

As we start a new chapter this week, (Matthew 11), we once again consider the subject of doubts and questions. Having doubts and questions is not the same as unbelief. Unbelief is an unwillingness to believe in spite of the evidence. Having doubts and questions means we believe but we’re having a hard time sorting out the why and the when. Honest followers have honest questions and our kind Master does not upbraid an honest seeking soul. His response to John the Baptist was so gracious and tender; it warms my heart to Him even more! The blessing that Jesus mentions in Matthew 11:6 should encourage the heart of everyone who believes Jesus but has questions about His timing and methods. He acknowledges with great humility that His life and ways could cause people to get tripped up, to stumble or “be offended.” BUT, happy are the ones who continue to believe and do not lose confidence because of these things. I love Jesus’ comprehension of my human tendencies. My prayer for this coming Sunday is that we will give honest consideration to Jesus’ words and rest the little things of our lives under the big things that He has already settled!