LEND ME YOUR EARS
Matthew 11:15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Luke 8:8 And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Amazingly enough, there was a wholly, holy anointed man of God who had a reputation for getting the job done when it came to preaching. His name was Reverend Thew.
His reputation had been carried to a town some 1500 miles away to a church called the “SOUND CHURCH CONGREGATION”. Reverend Thew thought that was a great name for a church; going on the assumption that it stood for “sound doctrine”. As the pastor was going to be out of town and wanting someone to fill the pulpit while he was away, references regarding Rev. Thew left no doubt that he was the man he wanted.
Arriving at the church Sunday morning; folk started gathering for the service. Rev. Thew was surprised by the folk he met as they entered; no one spoke a word; simply smiled and nodded politely.
The church was soon filled almost to over flowing…word had gotten out about the visiting speaker.
Unaware of what was happening…there was no music; no offertory…etc., Rev. Thew began his sermon. The church was rather large; seating 1,000 people, but it apparently had none of the large church amenities; i.e a large video screen for the scripture verses; song lyrics; and such. This was an odd place to say the least.
Rev. Thew started really getting into his sermon and did not understand…..; no nodding in agreement; no one saying “amen”; no one raising their hand in praise. This was totally unusual for Rev. Thew. He had never seen a congregation so…quiet; so proper; so…stoic.
He tried preaching harder; louder; more animated; more dramatic in speech…anything he could think of to get a response. Finally, he just decided… “God sent me here, so I’ll just be myself and let it go. God knows why I’m here.”
Finishing his sermon; giving the altar call; all with no response, he stood at the door shaking hands and nodding as everyone left. He noticed just as he was leaving the “count” on the Sunday School board was 997. Nice size crowd, but why wasn’t anyone listening; why weren’t they “getting it”?!? Feeling dejected, he got into the car and headed home.
Not understanding what had happened, he prayed and pleaded for an explanation. All he got from God was, “Be at peace. You did what I wanted you to do.”
Several weeks had passed and Rev. Thew received a note from one of the attendees at the service. She wrote that she had been deaf her whole life, but from the time he settled down in his sermon, her ears were opened and she heard every word clearly and understood everything he’d said. Afterward, her deafness had returned; but, oh the joy, for that short time to hear the word of God being preached so wonderfully, was worth all the years before and the time since, of not hearing. You see, the only words she’d ever heard were spoken that day.
She went on to say what a change it had made in her life. Her confusion with it all was the reason she had delayed in contacting him.
A few days later, he received another note telling him pretty much the same thing…deafness gone during his sermon and returned afterward; then came another; and another; and another until there were eleven in all.
The last letter told about the church itself…explaining that it was an “all deaf” church. It also stated that the pastor could speak and hear, and she had wondered why Rev. Thew hadn’t used the big drop-down screen for his sermon…everyone could have followed along with him…or had someone sign for him. (He was unaware of the necessity or the availability these things.) She too told of being deaf since birth and only during his sermon had she actually heard speech.
One letter came from a young man who had become deaf by way of an accident that had somehow damaged his hearing. He had been in church as he was growing up and had enjoyed it very much. He went on to explain that those few who had been graced by the hand of God to hear the word, were meeting during the week to expound and discuss what had happened.
Now Rev. Thew was doing some shouting of his own as he remembered the verses of scripture that said, “he that hath an ear to hear let him hear.”
Some come to service to fulfill what they perceive as an obligation to God; a few come to hear what the spirit says. Most are complacent in daily lives just doing what they are told. But then there are the one;…three;…seven;…eleven who want to know.
Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 29. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;
Rev. 13:9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
In reflecting back over this writing, other than the obvious lesson of “if you want to hear what the spirit says, you will”; I noticed a comparison of Rev. Thew to Elijah at the cave. The wind; the earthquake; the fire…God was in none of them. But the still small voice heard later created a change in this most note-worthy man of God.
When Rev. Thew was performing his “antics” to cause a desired effect, he gleaned nothing. But once he turned it over to God and got out of the way, the still small voice took over and the miraculous hand of God took over and got the desired results. It isn’t in what we do or what we say. It’s what God does when we are obedient and let Him do what He will do.
© Maxine Branthoover 08/19/11
Erica
Charles
Maxine
