Seek the Kingdom with Your Ears

 Only the good soil grows in the light of God.

               Some soil stays in the darkness of ignorance.

               Some soil takes no root in troubled storms.

               Some soil gets choked by weeds of greed and worry.

Only the good soil of listening grows in the light of God.

wikipedia

The kingdom of God is a lamp shining out,

                                         never hidden

                                         never covered,

                                         placed on the lamp stand of the Christ,

                                         who shines most in the darkest places.

Light of God, shine on me!

Jesus Christ, lift up my eyes to the light!

The kingdom is everywhere shining

                              but seldom seen,

                           so blinding in Christ,

                              yet easily dismissed.

The humble God has hidden his light, his kingdom,

                                     in the Suffering Servant, Jesus,

                                     in the humble Teacher, Jesus,

                                     even in the wandering pilgrims

                                               who follow Jesus;

                                     hidden from those who think they know,

                                        but shown to those who want to know;

                                     hidden from those who are satisfied,

                                        but shown to those who are hungry;

                                     hidden from those who want to hide,

                                        but shown to those who want to walk in the light;

                                     hidden from the eyes,

                                        but shown to the ears.

visualphotos.com

If you have ears in order to hear, listen!

                  Listen to a kingdom unseen.

                  Listen to its Teacher,

                                    who holds up the kingdom in his words.

                  Listen so that you may see!

                  Open your ears and look!

Lord, may your kingdom call out to me!

The value of the kingdom in found in its weight.

        Does it weigh in your heart?

        What is its measure?

        Your ear is the balance of the heart

                weighing one thing against another.

        What weighs upon you?

surrenderedmarriage

The kingdom is heavier than it looks.

        far denser in its love, joy, and peace

             than it seems,

        seeming small compared to the world

             and yet heavier than this kingdom of the air,

        impossible to carry

             until Jesus picks up the other end.

Seek the kingdom of God with your ears.

Seek its light in the dark noise.

Seek its hiddenness from those who hide from God,

Seek its weight of love and glory

  and everything else will be yours.

Half-hearted half-listening will not bring half of the kingdom,

  but nothing.

Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.

Let your word grow this kingdom in my heart.

(A Meditation on Mark 4:21-25)

Abominable Worship and Service

This is the one I esteem:

he who is humble and contrite in spirit,

and trembles at my word.

But whoever sacrifices a bull

is like one who kills a man,

and whoever offers a lamb,

like one who breaks a dog's neck;

whoever makes a grain offering

is like one who presents pig's blood,

and whoever burns memorial incense,

like one who worships an idol.

They have chosen their own ways,

and their souls delight in their abominations;

so I also will choose harsh treatment for them,

and will bring upon them what they dread.

For when I called, no one answered,

when I spoke, no one listened.

They did evil in my sight

and chose what displeases me. (Is. 66:2-4)

So the picture Isaiah is painting is a normal worship service with singing, praying, offerings, and preaching. Yet what seems like songs of worship are like everyone vomiting on the floor, what seems to be praying is cussing and making obscene gestures at God, what seems like offering is like beating and stealing from the poorest members, and what seems like preaching is really like pornography practiced at the front of the church. What Isaiah portrays is truly frightening: people who think they are praising, worshiping, and honoring God, but who are, in reality, committing the worst of sins by their very worship and practice.

What was the problem? They lacked humility and a contrite spirit. They chose their own ways and delighted in them above listening to God and answering his call. Such practices are abominations to God, evil in his sight, and displeasing to him. They did not tremble at his word.

I nearly cried at the phrase, "When I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened." Often, I think I am trying to hear God. I have various practices in my life to attune my heart to what God wants. At the heart of it all is obedience, however. So often I find I am listening hard for things that will please me and make me happy, like solutions to my problems and guidance that paves the way to peace. I have selective hearing.

This kind of hearing is what brings abominable worship and service to God. It carefully circumvents the heart of what God wants of me with an obsession on my own happiness, my own accomplishments, my own desires. "God couldn't want that because I would be so miserable!" I think when faced with some of his words to me. I try to pad them, soften them, or even change them, but then I just end up deaf. Rather than seeking for ways to obey what seems hard or impossible, I look for ways I can get out of really doing what he asks of me. So I fill my life up with "sacrifices" that will somehow excuse me from obedience.

Ironically, when I seek to skirt God's words to me, I end up with harsh treatment from God - I can't hear him or receive his comfort - because I ignore his efforts to help and heal me. I also end up having the very things I dread come true. Away from God, I am vulnerable to deception and oppression. God wants to save me from fear and dread, but it requires obedience.

Lord, I want to listen and obey. When I listen, I treat your word as just a bit of information. I use it to make up my own mind. I do not seek to use my mind to make up obedience in my life. My attitude is all wrong. I see that without listening to you, I cannot hope to obey. I see that listening without obeying is no better than ignoring you. I also know that obedience without trusting you wholeheartedly and without eager anticipation for what you will bring will quickly fade and fail. At the heart of it all is that faith, that trust, that confidence that you are good and will do good. Increase my faith so that my worship and service might please you and not make you sick, Father! Thank you for your patience. Don't let me presume upon you, though. Let me seek to obey out of love for you. Amen.