Sermon, November 28, 1999

Listen! What do you hear?

Alan Smith, shared a beautiful story in his daily devotional about a Native American and his friend who were walking near Times Square in Manhattan. It was during the noon lunch hour and the streets were filled with people. Cars were honking their horns, taxi cabs were squealing around corners, sirens were wailing, and the sounds of the city were almost deafening. Suddenly the Native American said, "I hear a cricket."

You could imagine his friend’s reaction. He said, "What? You must be crazy. You couldn’t possibly hear a cricket in all this noise!"

"No I am sure of it, " the Native American said, "I hear a cricket."

"That’s crazy," insisted the friend.

The Native American listened carefully for a moment, and then walked across the street to a big cement planter where some shrubs were growing. He looked into the bushes, beneath the branches, and sure enough, he located a small cricket. His friend was utterly amazed.

"That’s incredible," said his friend. "You must have super-human ears!"

"No," said the Native American. "My ears are no different from yours. It all depends on what you’re listening for."

"But that can’t be!" said the friend. "I could never hear a cricket in this noise."

"Yes, it’s true," came the reply. "It depends on what is really important to you. Here let me show you."

With that, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a few coins, and discreetly dropped them on the sidewalk. And then, with the noise of the crowded street still blaring in their ears, they noticed every head within twenty feet turn and look to see if the money that tinkled on the pavement was theirs.

"See what I mean?" asked the Native American. "It all depends on what’s important to you."

What’s important to you? What will you be listening for this Advent and Christmas season?

Amid the sound of familiar Christmas carols, between sounds of honking horns in traffic tie ups, among the complaints that there is so much do to and so little time, what will you hear this Christmas?

"For the people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn - and I would heal them."

When Jesus spoke these words he was describing the religious community of his time. They heard the parable which Jesus spoke, yet what they heard was just another story. They failed to hear the spiritual truth which Jesus shared through His parable.

Might the same be said about us and our understanding of Christmas. We hear the story of Jesus birth, but will we truly listen and comprehend the spiritual truth of His birth?

Has you heart grown dull? Are your ears hard of hearing to the Good News of Jesus birth? Will the sounds of Christmas penetrate your heart and cause you to turn to Him so you may be healed?

That depends on you and you alone. It depends on what is important to you and what you are listening for.

In the midst of the sounds of Christmas, you can hear the voice of God.

In the midst of grief you can hear loving, caring voice of God saying, "Comfort, comfort, my people.

In the midst of anger you can hear the rational, reasonable voice of God saying, "Don’t let you anger cause you to sin."

In the midst of the pains of betrayal you can hear the compassionate voice of God saying , "Father, forgive them."

In the midst of fears you can hear the reassuring voice of God saying, "Don’t fear people, trust God."

To hear the voice God doesn’t require super-human ears. It requires ears of faith. A desire to hear the Word of God, to turn and be healed.

What will you hear, what will you listen for this Christmas?

"Blessed are the ears that hear
and the eyes that see."

amen