Listening
Luke 9: 28 – 36
Intro: Sunday school teacher read this passage to his class. At the conclusion, he asked a boy where Jesus was in the story. Answer: “On a mountain.” Next question: “Can you tell me why he was there?” Answer: “He was there for math class.” “What?” Answer: “The story said that Jesus went up on the mountain and began to figure.” ---
I Perhaps we understand the meaning better today because of the “Transformer” movies.
A VSS. 29 – 31 – The scene: Jesus was praying. Suddenly he changes: his face changes / his clothes shine.
B 2 important words here: prosopon – the face turned or presented to another and heteros – other, foreign strange or different.
C Even though the transformers in the movie change, they are still the same, they have the same parts just arranged differently. I believe the same was true of Jesus.
II As significant as these words are to our understanding of this passage, I think the central thought is found in VS. 35 – “A voice came from the cloud saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I have chosen, listen to him.’”
A I am going to ask a series of questions. I want you to call out the answers: A tree that has acorns is an _______(oak). If you have no money you are _______ (broke). A funny story told by a comedian is a ________ (Joke). The cloud that rises from a fire is called _________(smoke). The style of music sung by Peter, Paul & Mary was _______ (folk). The sound made by a frog is _______ (croak) The white of an egg is called the _________ (white / not yolk).
B Former President Bill Clinton once said, “Being President is like running a cemetery: you’ve got a lot of people under you … and nobody is listening.”
C “This is my Son, whom I have chosen, LISTEN to him. The work in Greek is akouo. An interesting translation of the word is “to hear with the ear of the mind.”
Concl: We are to hear with the ear of the mind to Jesus. NOT JUST LISTEN! But listen with our mind, seek to understand, and be led by his words and teaching.
