Matthew 5:1-2 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:

We generally think of someone standing to teach or preach, but in that culture it was the other way around. Jesus’ disciples evidently sensed that He was getting ready to teach, because it says they gathered to Him. What follows is one of the most famous passages in all human literature, quoted by countless people of all persuasions in efforts to say all sorts of things. If we are to receive and grasp the Sermon on the Mount correctly, we too have to gather at the feet of Jesus and let Him speak to us, rather than trying to manipulate His words to mean whatever we want them to. Jesus’ words are often so outrageous by human standards that we refuse to accept them on first, or even second or third, hearing. That’s why He said so many times, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:15 and many more) If the ears of our hearts aren’t open to Him, we won’t receive what He is saying no matter how He says it. This is a problem in normal human interaction as well. I regularly caution couples in marriage counseling to confirm whether their partner has ears to hear what needs to be said before they really start talking. Failure in that area tends to generate an “off switch” that kicks in whenever the other person starts talking. However, responsibility lies with both sides. There needs to be the desire to hear what the other has to say. That is, of course, the major factor when it comes to hearing God. All too often we don’t really want to hear what He has to say because we’re afraid it will interfere with our plans. As the saying goes, “My mind is made up. Don’t confuse me with the facts.” That’s not way to be toward God!

I wish I could say I had a heart that was always receptive toward God, but honesty keeps me from it. Most often the Lord has to repeat Himself quite a few times before I really grasp what He is saying. A major factor in that is obedience: if I really understand, I will do what He says. If I fail to act promptly on what He tells me, it fades, I lose the blessing, and He has to tell me again later. I’ve lost an awful lot of blessings that way! Thankfully I have gotten better with practice, but I certainly wish I had done better about it many years ago. I am in the place of a teacher myself, both in the church and in secular schools, and I certainly wish I could give my students hearing ears! As it is, I must exercise toward them the same patience that has been poured out on me, which actually is an opportunity for me to get to know my Lord all the better, so I should be grateful.

Father, thank You for the many ways You do speak to Your children. Help me hear You more and better, not simply to amass information but to act on Your Word, (James 1:22) so that Your will may be done in and through me for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!