Listening to Jesus

Jesus said to his disciples after sharing the parable of the sower, "let anyone with ears to hear listen" (Mk 4:9). On the day of Transfiguration, when God said from the cloud, "this is my son, the Beloved, listen to him" (Mk 9:7), what he was saying was: Don't listen to the self-help gurus and the culture critics. Don't listen to the political pundits and religious hucksters. Listen to Jesus, because he brings you the Word of God.

History shows us that Christians haven't listened very well to Jesus. All that hostility shown by Christians this past Christmas proves how far we are from understanding Jesus' mission and message. We want to see and experience the glory of the kingdom of God, but too often we're in such a big hurry that we forget to follow Jesus' instructions. Maybe that's why he told the disciples, don't say anything about this just yet. They still had to figure out that there would be no triumph without the cross.

The transfiguration of Jesus is a pivotal event, but it is only a way station on a road to the cross. It is a reminder to us that Jesus' understanding of power differs from ours. There are voices calling Christians to take power and dominate society. Let's make this a Christian nation so we can transform it into our own image. This is a very seductive vision, and Christians have tried it before with disastrous results. We need to remember that power corrupts even Christians, so if we believe that political power will usher in the kingdom of God, we will be wrong. It's not possible to impose God's will on society, which is why Jesus didn't seek political power. Instead, he called people to embrace their neighbor with God's love and to break down the walls that separate us from each other. As we listen to God's witness, we are reminded of the question: "What Would Jesus Do?" This question was quite popular a few years ago -- appearing as it did on T-shirts and wristbands -- but it's still a question worth considering. If we were to listen to Jesus and do as he would have us do, wouldn't the world be much different?

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