Sunday, August 18, 2019

Hearing, and Listening

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for
“Their voice has gone out to all the earth,
    and their words to the ends of the world.”
19 But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,
“I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation;
    with a foolish nation I will make you angry.”
20 Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,
“I have been found by those who did not seek me;
    I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”
21 But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” (Romans 10)
Paul is dealing with his anguish over the rejection of the Messiah by many of his fellow Israelites.  He glories in the privilege of being "the apostle to the Gentiles", but his heart breaks at the lack of response by many to the Gospel. All they need to do is hear and respond. But as with many, hearing and listening are two different things.  Paul's anguish was that Israel had been hearing for generations the message of God; He had been speaking, but often they chose to rebel and not listen.  Now, many who had not been "hearing" - the Gentiles, were hearing, and listening, and receiving, and beleiving the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The Gospel message includes within it the power, the faith, to believe. As Paul says in Ephesians 2, even our faith is a gift from God. It's a matter of if we will listen, believe, repent, and obey.  

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