Most of us have done this at some point or another. We are listening to someone talk to us about
some subject or another, and we just seem to tune out. We hear a few things, but rarely
everything. And we decide how we may
feel about it, based on a number of factors, most of which have little to do
with the content being shared. Attitude
plays a major role. If you talk to me
when I am consumed with anger, very few of your words are likely to get
through. It does not matter that
something entirely different has made me mad (nothing to do with you), the
problem is, when I am mad, I listen carefully a lot less. The same holds true for being very excited,
pleasantly or not. What I failed to
realize in an office setting is that this same phenomenon holds true whether in
person to person talking, or person to person writing. Of course none of try to do this, but we seem
to just wind up there from time to time.
And hearing only some of what gets said, can leave out very important
things. Things that could change the
meaning of what was said, or what is needed entirely.
Should you try to read the Bible with this kind of
distraction, it can get ugly quick. If
you are like me, I have to read the same text over and over and over again in
order to get back to some form of what it was truly trying to say. I have to get “me” out of the way before
scripture starts to make sense again.
And if you really want to have the Bible make sense, try reading it
through the lens of Jesus Christ. Look
at how Jesus lived, how Jesus loved, how Jesus did so much for the benefit of
others, and nothing for Himself. And
through that lens, entire stories, or commandments, start to look a lot
different. It may be impossible to get
those pre-existing distractions completely out of the way before you start
reading. Perhaps the best remedy for
that is a prayer, and a request for the Holy Spirit to get all that baggage out
of the picture, and allow you to see what was written clearer, to get the
message Jesus intends for you to get today.
And no, I do not believe it is selective listening to get a message
intended for today from scripture, followed by getting a different one tomorrow,
I call that growth, and being led.
But when we are determined to get what we want to get out of
a conversation, or letter, we will do exactly that. Even if others do not share our vision, and
when they look objectively at the same conversation or letter as we do, they
see things entirely differently, probably more truthfully. But a preconception colors the outcome. And when the preconceptions are dipped in
evil, evil is the only path we have left open to us. As an example, if I decide I want to kill my
enemy for what I believe they have done to me.
I can read scripture and find texts and stories that will seem to
support my desired actions. Eye for an
eye. Eternal consequences. Killing for God that is either ordered or
seems justified. If you come at this
with a preconceived evil intent. You
will find your preconceptions validated (at least in your own mind). And no amount of objective logic will ever
turn you away. The leaders of God’s own
church fell victim to this. They fell so
hard, they wanted to kill God, rather than listen to Him. They made a choice not to believe, and so
believe they did not.
Luke tells us about a case of selective listening with the worst
of evil intentions, in a group of religious leaders who should have been the
farthest from that phenomenon that is possible to be. Perhaps like we should be. People of faith who should know better. People with the right Bible who read it all
the time who should know better. People
who were physically close to God, in the Temple back then, in His flesh back
then, and in His Spirit today. But
despite all this, these religious leaders sought evil, and used evil to justify
the killing of God, in order to preserve the name of God. They would stamp out the life of Christ for
the blasphemy they were committing. It
was twisted irony. And it was this group
of people to show Jesus we were not worth saving anyway. Even the best of us, were so easily twisted
to be this evil. Even the folks with the
most learning would do this.
Luke starts our case study in chapter 22 of his letter to
his friend about what we believe and why, it picks up at the end of the chapter
in verse 66 saying … “And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the
chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council,
saying, [verse 67] Art thou the Christ? tell us …” The trauma had started Thursday evening. They found Jesus coming out of the Garden of
Gethsemane late Thursday night, bleeding from His sweat, tired, exhausted, as
if He had already been through World War 3.
He had. He wrestled with His
humanity, struggling with whether He could go through with it all. And worst of all completely isolated from His
Father while He carried the weight of all our sins. It was at His weakest that Judas comes up
with the betraying kiss, and soldiers grab Him taking Him away in the
night. It is daybreak now. The soldiers have been mocking Jesus, and
smacking Him around as if He were not already down and out. Jesus is to be taken before a select council,
no sympathizers of Jesus would be invited to this shindig. This is a kangaroo court with a specific
outcome already predetermined in the minds of the participants.
The question they ask Him is not about His answer, it is
only about using His words to give them the justification they need to put Him
to death. They are listening to condemn
Him, not to converse with Him. Continuing
in verse 67 Jesus answers saying … “… And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: [verse 68] And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go.” Jesus points out they are not really looking
to know the answer to their question, for it is not a question, it is an
accusation. And Jesus further points out
the ultimate destination of this supposed court will end in no other way than
His own death, for it is only for that reason they are all assembled. No one is looking for true justice. Everyone there is looking for death, His
death. No argument will do it. Nothing He can say. They will not let Jesus go, they want Him
dead no matter what. But through all of
this Jesus will not refuse to speak truth to them, even if it is the last thing
He may ever say to them.
Jesus continues His response in verse 69 saying … “Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the
power of God.” This answer is a
little tricky. Jesus has prophesied
about where the “Son of Man” will be seen or found. He gives no timeline for it. Other versions imply these men will see this
upcoming event. But the statement is a
statement of fact. And to associate
Jesus as being the Son of Man, you would have to accept that in order to
condemn Him for His answer. But that
would mean you believe Jesus is the Son of Man and therefore the Christ. Jesus has not said that He was the Son of Man
in this answer, only that in the future this is where the Son of Man will be
found. Then there is the dangerous part
of this sentence of Jesus. The right
hand of the power of God, implies there will be no power that Jesus is
restricted from having. To condemn Him
may bring with it, a war against a power, they have no chance at winning. It may even be a self-death-sentence they are
truly passing. But to see this, or hear
this, they would have to be of mind to listen to His words. They were only listening for one thing.
Luke continues in verse 70 saying … “Then said they all, Art thou
then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye
say that I am. [verse 71] And they said, What need we any further witness? for we
ourselves have heard of his own mouth.”
Selective listening. Jesus says
and I am quoting - “you” say that I am.
Talk about poking the bear. Jesus
essentially repeats the idea that they are angry enough to kill Him because
deep down they know He really is the Son of God, but they refuse to accept it. Jesus still did not actually state that He
was the Son of God. As pointed out
earlier what good would it have done.
They would not have accepted it or believed it, just because He said it. So those bent on His death now attempt to use
words He said to make that happen. What
difference does it make that He may not have actually given them what they were
looking for. Other versions describe a
great deal of frustration during this purported trial as previous witnesses
would disagree with each other making it impossible to convict Him. But Luke does not discuss that. He zeroes in on how those bent on evil will
find a way to do evil, no matter what is said or how it is said.
But I ask once again, are we any different. We may not have been present at the sham
trial to convict our Lord, but do we still read the scriptures with intent,
with preconceptions, with a notion to do what we want to do instead of what
Jesus would actually ask. Do we ignore
the life and ministry of Jesus, in order to create and promote a judgmentally
based religion that makes me feel holy because you are less holy? That makes me feel better about my sins,
because I know your sins are worse? Do
we scorn and avoid forgiveness of each other while still craving the
forgiveness of God? People do sin
against us. It happens. That is why they need forgiveness, and why we
need to offer it. To choose not to,
because we are still mad or hurt about what they did, is to put chains on our
own experience instead of embracing the freedom Jesus longs to offer us in the
form of forgiveness itself. What slight,
what sin, what hurt, is worth throwing away your own life because of what
someone else did to you? And worse to
take up a course of vengeance masquerading as justice, and try to use the Bible
to justify what you want to do, is to become a member of that ancient
Sanhedrin, a guest of honor at the murder of Jesus. I would rather instead be uninvited to an
event like that, wouldn’t you? Better to
forgive. Better to read with a mind to
be led. Better to let go any
preconception, and allow the Holy Spirit room to show you something new.
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