Listening
Matthew 17:1-13; 2 Peter 1:12-21[1]
I had an experience growing up that I think some of you
might be familiar with. I would be engaged in something, completely immersed in
what I was doing. My mother would be talking to me about finishing my homework
or doing chores, and she would ask me, “Are you listening?” I would answer yes,
but the truth of the matter was that while I may have been “hearing” her speak,
I wasn’t “listening” to what she was saying at all. I wasn’t trying to be rude;
I was just so immersed in what I was doing that I simply couldn’t hear her. As
a parent, like many of you, I’ve had the joy of experiencing the other side of
that conversation. With my children I learned that it worked best for me to
actually touch them on the shoulder to get their attention before trying to
communicate something important. That seemed to work for them. I would imagine
a lot of us have been on both sides of that conversation.
When you read the stories from the Gospels about Jesus
teaching his disciples, it can feel like something similar was going on. While
they were paying attention to him, they really didn’t understand what he was
telling them. They were distracted by their own concerns, their own
expectations, and their own preconceived ideas. One of the classic examples of
this is when he told them (not once but several times) that his path of obeying
God was going to lead to his dying on a cross. That just didn’t make any sense
to them. They heard the words he was saying, but they didn’t have the ability
to actually “listen.”
We see something like this in the story of the
Transfiguration of Jesus. In Matthew’s version of the story, Peter is
overwhelmed by what he’s witnessing and wants to stay there on the mountain. He
even offers to build three tents for them. That might seem like a strange
request. But it might not have been that strange to Peter. One of the great
festivals in Judaism still today is called Sukkot, or the “festival of
booths.” In Scripture it was related to the idea that the people lived in tents
when they came out of Egypt (Lev 23:42-43). It’s not much of a stretch to think
that when Peter and the others saw Jesus transformed, and when they saw Moses
and Elijah him, they believed that God was fulfilling their hopes and dreams
for a new Exodus to liberate the people from the Roman Empire. It’s not
surprising that Peter wanted to set up tents and stay on that mountain!
But in Matthew’s Gospel, Peter’s request was answered by
the voice of God himself: “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well
pleased; listen to him!” (Mt 17:5). I would say that this voice responds to
Peter with a (gentle) rebuke. He wanted to stay on the mountain, where he
believed he was witnessing the beginning of his hopes and dreams coming true.
But the voice from the cloud instructed Peter and the others to direct their
attention to Jesus. More than that they were to “listen to him.” And the
implication here is that they were not only to listen to him but also follow
his instructions. Afterwards, Jesus took them down the mountain where they were
to engage with people he called a “faithless generation” (Mt 17:17). It’s no
wonder they had difficulty hearing and understanding what he was trying to
teach them about how they were to live and serve in that setting.
When I think of that situation of hearing but not really
listening, it reminds me also of our reading from 2 Peter for today.
Apparently, 2 Peter was written long enough after Jesus’ resurrection that many
were beginning to deny that there would be a “second coming” at all (2 Pet
3:4). In response, our reading for today reminded them that Jesus’
transfiguration on that mountain was a kind of a foreshadowing of his “second
coming.” What those who were there saw and heard left them with no doubt that
Jesus would indeed return in the full majesty of his glory as Savior and Lord.
Unfortunately, some have approached this passage as if it
advocates that Scripture is to be accepted at face value, simply embracing the
“literal meaning” of the words. The truth is any written document has to be
interpreted. That’s especially true for a document written as long ago and in
such a different setting from ours as the Bible. More than that, the Bible
itself raises some questions that we cannot readily answer. That makes it
difficult if not impossible to simply embrace the “literal meaning.” I think
what all this means is if we’re going follow the advice to “pay close
attention” to Scripture we’re going to have to put forth some effort (2 Pet.
1:19, NLT). We’re going to have to be intentional about it. I think that
means more than a casual reading of select verses. It means serious and
sustained study of the Bible!
Listening closely to Scripture has never been easy. There
have always been those who raised objections that seem to call into question
the validity of the Bible as a source for faith. And there will always be a
wide range of voices claiming to speak on behalf of the Bible. It takes some
effort to sort through the tangle of conflicting messages out there. But it
seems to me that our lesson for today points us in the right direction. As
those who have gone before us have framed it, “the clear teaching of Scripture”
has always been there to guide us. There are some things that are clear. There
are some things we can say confidently that “the Bible teaches this.” Those who
have gone before us have called that “the clear teaching of Scripture.” That
doesn’t mean we’re going to automatically find the answer to our questions
simply by flipping through our Bible. It’s going to take intentional study of
the Bible if we’re going to do a better job of “paying attention” to Scripture.
I guess the place to start is making time to listen to the
Scriptures. Most people would just try to “read through” the Bible. But if you
start with Genesis chapter 1, the likelihood that you’ll make it all the way
through to Revelation chapter 22 is fairly small. Most people don’t succeed at
reading through the Bible in that way. That’s where Bible reading plans can
help us. We do hear the Scripture in worship on Sunday morning, but I dare say
that we may not always be “listening,” even in this place. Sacred music,
whether traditional or contemporary, can contain scripture. But musicians
aren’t always the best Bible teachers. Let’s face it, sometimes Pastors aren’t always
the best Bible teachers! I’ve found the Bible itself to be the best teacher.
And the way we “let” the Bible teach us is by reading it. Over and over again. And
preferably in different versions. We do that until what is the “clear teaching”
in the Scriptures begins to stand out in contrast to some things that aren’t so
clear. Our faith can focus on those clear, foundational teachings, and we don’t
get so bothered by what may be not so clear. That’s how the Bible teaches us to
read the Bible. Paying close attention to the voice of the Bible is a bit like
actually listening to someone who’s talking to us. We have to “tune in” rather
than “tuning out.” As it turns out, really listening always takes effort on our
part. If we believe the Bible is the basis for our faith, then we’d better get
with it when it comes to “paying closer attention.” Our lessons for today
challenge us to start being much more intentional about listening for the “word
of the Lord” through Scripture!
[1] ©
2026 Alan Brehm. A sermon delivered by Rev. Alan Brehm PhD on 2/15/2026 for
Hickman Presbyterian Church, Hickman, NE.
