Who Do You Hear?

⁴² Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. ⁴³ Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! ⁴⁴ For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵ So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! ⁴⁶ Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? ⁴⁷ Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.” – John 8:42-47

Here Jesus describes what the devil does and describes his character.  He destroys life (murderer) and always has.  He hates truth (Jesus and God).  There is no truth in him.  He lies – always.  He makes lies where none exist. 

So, He explains to those who are listening to Him that do not believe Him that they naturally don’t believe Him.  They can’t hear Him.  The words do not make it through the ear canals.  They can’t hear or understand because they follow the devil.  If the truth of the presence of the one living God can’t be heard and is determinedly not believed, there is only one reason why.  That person is not following God, but following the opposer of God.  The one who destroys life, hates God and lies. 

This is a remarkable confrontation as it shows how thick-skulled and determinedly stupid we are as lost sheep.  Jesus remarks as a confounded teacher whose students can’t understand a simple concept, “Why can’t you understand what I am saying?”  He then reasons to them the why, but they do not accept it.  How can they possibly not understand something he is saying?  They are the educated.  How can He possibly tell them they can’t hear?  How preposterous!  How absurd! 

Then Jesus tells them they follow the devil, their father.  As shocked as they are about being told that they can’t understand or even hear simple concepts, now He says they follow the devil – outrageous!!  How can anyone say such blasphemy?!  He is a bigot, He hates people, He is intolerant!!  He must be killed!

Jesus concludes this paragraph with “And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.”  Yikes.  If you belong to God you gladly listen to His Words.  But if you don’t listen you don’t belong to Him.  Wow.  In this age of pastors preaching what they want to believe and not the clearly written Words of God, Jesus says powerfully that they are not listening to Him.  And anytime I do not want to hear His Word, I am not listening to Him, but to the devil. 

While that is very clear to understand, it is so difficult to be willing to grasp.  No one likes to be told they are what they really are.  Reality is hard to accept, but living apart from it is a fairytale and it can take years off your life.  The sooner we accept the reality of our sinfulness and decide to gladly listen to the Words of God and believe them, the sooner we enter life.