Imagine being present to hear the sermon on the mount. No note taking…no cell phones in your pocket and no ipad in your hand, just listening attentively to the words of Jesus. In our wealth of biblical resources it is entirely possible for spoken word of the text to take a back seat to all the noise that has been said about the text over the last 2000 years. While studying extra-biblical resources, commentaries, backgrounds and languages are necessary and even essential to solid biblical study…there is no substitute for the words of scripture being read aloud and hidden in our hearts. So when you pick up the Bible, rather than digging around for all the obscure and hidden meanings, first think about what it would have been like to have actually sat on the hillside and listened to the Sermon on the Mount. or been in the upstairs room as Paul preached and Eutychus fell out the window.
Being there means you actually have to listen because there is no hearing it again…there is no taking notes or reading of commentaries. You must give the Word your full attention. I am afraid today the Word does not get our full attention as it ought not because it is inaccessible but because it is too accessible. So open your Bible and really listen because you may hear exactly what you need to hear if you have ears to hear it.
