November 2nd, 20

New Ears.  New Mouths.

Today’s readings are Job 25 and Mark 13-14.  We are reading from the New Living Translation.

  he sufferings of Christ have started. They begin with a  promise, a kiss, a sword and a severed ear. We are all deaf, so it seems, to God’s word.  We have all denied and betrayed the Living Word.  We are all suffering, as it were, with severed ears and lips that betray.  We use our lips to declare our allegiance and affection and in the end we deny and run and betray.  Three times loyal Peter, uses his mouth to deny that he even knows Jesus.  And the most disloyal Judas, uses his mouth to betray Jesus with a kiss.  Loyal and disloyal alike, can’t get their mouths to be true.  Everyone lies and denies.  

Their mouths don’t work, in part, because their ears don’t work.  Jesus has been telling them that He is the one who will fulfill all Scripture.  He is the suffering servant Isaiah spoke about.  He would win their victory by his suffering and death.  Time and time again he has tried to tell them, but they can’t hear it. Like the temple guard, their ears have been severed, unable to hear.  

It appears we’ve all been rendered deaf to the Word of God by the curse of sin.  But Jesus is unflinching in the face of our lying lips and deaf ears. Jesus will continue to fulfill all Scripture.  He will continue on in His journey to the Cross and he will heal our ears along the way.  He will reattach ears that have been severed and unable to hear, causing them to hear again the life giving words of the Gospel.  And when He is done He will create something even far more amazing.  He will create new hearts, making us completely new, from the inside out.  New mouths. New ears. New hearts. New men.  New women.  From every tribe, nation, language, and tongue, all will be made new.  That’s what Jesus is doing.  Sometimes my mouth, and ears, and heart don’t work.  But Jesus is unflinching.  He is fulfilling all Scripture.  He is completing the job he set out to do.  And faithful is the One who began his good work in you.  He will be faithful to complete it!  Hallelujah!  

Let your prayer be that you would live in the Spirit.  Then your mouth and ears and heart will work and you will be awakened to the miracle of the resurrection, life and hope, through Christ.

You are loved!