While He was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!” Matthew 17:5 NIV
Jesus leads Peter, James and John up a high mountain, where he is transfigured before them. Moses and Elijah appear with Him. Moses gave them the Law of God. Elijah was the first of the great prophets. Was Peter really listening when he said, “Lord, it is good for us to be here! If you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah!” (Matthew 17:4). How does God respond to Peter’s suggestion? “… Listen to Him!” So what does it mean for us today to ‘listen to Jesus’? It means that we’re part of the community that listens to Him. We tend to see a church as a loose collection of individuals who listen. As a community we listen to Jesus as He gives us the great Commission. We as individuals are also called to ‘Listen to Jesus’. How do we do this? We need to listen carefully and listen prayerfully. The old monks had a way of doing this; they called it in Latin ‘lectio divina’, which means ‘holy reading’. It had four steps: reading, thinking, praying, and being quiet. In ‘reading’ they’d look for a word or phrase in the passage that really spoke to them, meditating on it and what it was saying to them, and how to apply it to their lives. In ‘praying’ they’d pray about the passage, asking God about it. In ‘being quiet’ they’d end by simply being quiet in the presence of God. It’s a good method, isn’t it? Reading, thinking, praying, and being quiet. Are you up to listening?
PRAYER THOUGHT
Lord Jesus, help us to listen as we read, think, pray and be still.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord Jesus, through the ministry of Your indwelling Holy Spirit, help us to listen as we read Your Word, meditate upon Your Word, praying, and being still in Your presence. AMEN
INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)
Matthew 26:1-16
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