Hebrews as Muse -- Seeing With Your Ears -- Hebrews 2
I’m a lifelong St Louis Cardinals fan. During the late 1950’s and into the early 1960’s a real highlight was going with my dad and some of his friends with their sons to St Louis (about 100 miles), eating at a White Castle, then heading to old Sportsman’s Park on Grand Avenue in north St Louis, where the Cardinals played until 1966 when they moved downtown. But we didn’t go that often. Much more frequent was listening to the Cardinals on the radio at home. Harry Carey and Jack Buck would call the game. I’ll always remember the Harry Carey famous line, “It might be, it could be, it is, a home run!”
But I wasn’t in St Louis on those occasions, I was 100 miles away (or further if not a home game). I was sitting in the family room, or outside listening on my transistor radio, and even though the game was being explained through my ears as Harry and Jack called the action, if Stan Musial hit a home run over the right field grandstands onto Grand Avenue, I could see it. In a sense I was seeing with my ears.
How is it that we can have a personal relationship with Jesus as Lord, following him as disciples each day? I mean he’s been gone 2,000 years. I’ve never seen him with my eyes. I’ve never been in his physical presence. How is it possible? It is possible because I can see him with my ears.
In Chapter 2 of Hebrews, we find these words. “What is man, that you (God) are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything under his feet. By putting everything in subjection to man, God left nothing outside his control. But presently, not all is subject to man.” Sin messed up God’s plan.
Eventually everything will be under Jesus’ control, but currently our eyes see mayhem in the world. We see Satan at work, sin causing havoc, people suffering. Because of that, Jesus suffered. Hebrews 2 continues, “For it was fitting that God…should make the founder of our salvation perfect through suffering.” Jesus, perfect Jesus, was abandoned, was beaten, was mocked, he was led out to a hill named “the skull” and crucified! I’m explaining that in words on paper, but can you see it?
That’s how we follow in faith also. We need to hear the Bible preached, we need to be involved in a class or small group to hear lessons drawn from the Bible, from the life of Jesus and his apostles. Those words provide direction, correction, an emotional link to our Lord, and although they are words spoken to us by a preacher or a teacher, through those words entering our ears, we see!
Hebrews 2 starts off with these words, “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” If we quit listening with our ears, we will not see, and we will not follow. We will drift. The name “Christian” may be worn, but the life we live will contradict the name.
I got to hear both Bob Gibson, a famous Cardinal pitcher, and Lou Brock, a famous Cardinal outfielder, while attending baseball camps at Busch Stadium in 1964 and 1966. Brock talked about the hardest ball to catch in the outfield: the line-drive right at you. It can curve any direction and you have trouble anticipating that. Those were just words spoken in my ear by Lou Brock. But I could see it as he spoke, based on my experience. Later, I would experience it again as I played baseball, and I followed Brock’s direction to not react too quickly. Listening, I was able to see what was needed. As we listen to God’s Word, we gain sight and “fixing our eyes on Jesus” (Heb. 12:2) we can successfully follow him.
Cross Point: "For because Jesus himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted" Hebrews 2:18. But he can only help as we listen, and seeing, follow.
But I wasn’t in St Louis on those occasions, I was 100 miles away (or further if not a home game). I was sitting in the family room, or outside listening on my transistor radio, and even though the game was being explained through my ears as Harry and Jack called the action, if Stan Musial hit a home run over the right field grandstands onto Grand Avenue, I could see it. In a sense I was seeing with my ears.
How is it that we can have a personal relationship with Jesus as Lord, following him as disciples each day? I mean he’s been gone 2,000 years. I’ve never seen him with my eyes. I’ve never been in his physical presence. How is it possible? It is possible because I can see him with my ears.
In Chapter 2 of Hebrews, we find these words. “What is man, that you (God) are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything under his feet. By putting everything in subjection to man, God left nothing outside his control. But presently, not all is subject to man.” Sin messed up God’s plan.
Eventually everything will be under Jesus’ control, but currently our eyes see mayhem in the world. We see Satan at work, sin causing havoc, people suffering. Because of that, Jesus suffered. Hebrews 2 continues, “For it was fitting that God…should make the founder of our salvation perfect through suffering.” Jesus, perfect Jesus, was abandoned, was beaten, was mocked, he was led out to a hill named “the skull” and crucified! I’m explaining that in words on paper, but can you see it?
That’s how we follow in faith also. We need to hear the Bible preached, we need to be involved in a class or small group to hear lessons drawn from the Bible, from the life of Jesus and his apostles. Those words provide direction, correction, an emotional link to our Lord, and although they are words spoken to us by a preacher or a teacher, through those words entering our ears, we see!
Hebrews 2 starts off with these words, “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” If we quit listening with our ears, we will not see, and we will not follow. We will drift. The name “Christian” may be worn, but the life we live will contradict the name.
I got to hear both Bob Gibson, a famous Cardinal pitcher, and Lou Brock, a famous Cardinal outfielder, while attending baseball camps at Busch Stadium in 1964 and 1966. Brock talked about the hardest ball to catch in the outfield: the line-drive right at you. It can curve any direction and you have trouble anticipating that. Those were just words spoken in my ear by Lou Brock. But I could see it as he spoke, based on my experience. Later, I would experience it again as I played baseball, and I followed Brock’s direction to not react too quickly. Listening, I was able to see what was needed. As we listen to God’s Word, we gain sight and “fixing our eyes on Jesus” (Heb. 12:2) we can successfully follow him.
Cross Point: "For because Jesus himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted" Hebrews 2:18. But he can only help as we listen, and seeing, follow.