"Can You Hear Me?" - Luke 9:28-36 - February 18, 2007

When the disciples were in the cloud on top of the mountain, a voice, apparently the voice of God said, "Listen to him." Up to this point they had been receiving instructions and witnessing Jesus do many miracles. But, in spite of all their time with Jesus they still didn’t get it. Although they watched and observed as eye witnesses they still did not hear. Why didn’t they listen?

When I was a student in middle school my teachers made me sit in the front row. I thought it was because I was short and couldn’t see over the other students. Actually, I was easily distracted by friends, things outside, and just about anything that moved, except for my teachers. I was frequently moved to the front row to make sure that I listened.

The disciples had front row seats but they weren’t listening. I believe they were distracted by the excitement of being Jesus’ close friends which heightened their egos. Everyone likes attention and since Jesus was becoming more popular, his closest associates were enjoying the ride. But in the process they had become hearing impaired.

When we speak to someone and they don’t hear us it can be very frustrating. One time a magazine subscriber called information to get the number for his magazine company, Theater Arts. He wanted to report a community event. The operator replied, "Sorry, but there is nobody listed by the name of "Theodore Arts." The subscriber insisted; "It’s not a person, it’s a publication. I want Theater Arts." The operator responded a little louder, "I told you, we have no listing for Theodore Arts in this city." By now, the subscriber was really getting frustrated so he spelled out the word, T H E A T E R." The operator replied, "That’s not the way you spell Theodore." (from God’s Devotional Book, Honor Books)

Sometimes there is just no communicating with people who refuse to listen. When you want some one to hear you they have to have your undivided attention. I think with men and women this is an impossibility. It may also be true with parents and teens. It was true for the disciples, so God had to get their attention in a dramatic way. The cloud blurred their vision. The mountain retreat removed them from society and all its distractions. And Jesus had been put in the spotlight with his glorious, shining face. Can you hear me?

Now that the disciples were in a cloud the way was obscure. Since they couldn’t see they could only listen. They had, what we call in counseling, "focused attention." When my wife wants to get my attention she presses the mute button on the remote. In other words, she has to remove what is distracting me, which is sometimes the television. Next, she makes eye contact which directs my focus. Now that she has my attention, I am able to hear.

In this particular context, Jesus and the disciples had gone up the mountain to pray. Jesus’ popularity was growing and they were being surrounded by growing crowds. The disciples had also received quite a bit of information. They needed a break. Perhaps this time of meditation would improve their hearing.

While I was doing research for this sermon this past week I discovered a new thought. It is not really new, but for some reason it struck me in a profound way. Prayer is not just speaking our inner most thoughts to God, it is also listening to God. A healthy relationship with God, or with anyone for that matter, requires dialogue. If our conversation is only one-way, we aren’t listening. If we are filled with our own agendas, we can’t hear God’s. A true, mountain top experience is more than living in a glorious moment, feeling on top of the world, it’s also our ability to be receptive to the voice of God.

But, why did the disciples need to listen? First, they were distracted by the sounds and sights of the world. When I go to the shopping mall I like to look in the windows and I like to observe people. If you are talking on a cell phone you miss everything that passes you by. You are living with tunnel vision. What you hear is limited to the person on the phone. You are totally disengaged from everything around you. You are living in a hearing impaired reality. God can’t get our attention when we have isolated ourselves from the world.

Secondly, we can’t experience oneness or closeness with God unless we are listening. The presence of Moses and Elijah on the mountain with Jesus was symbolic of his connection with these two great leaders of the faith. And, his angelic appearance gave evidence to a transcendent power. No wonder they wanted to stay and construct a tent, this was like nothing they had ever experienced before. They wanted to capture it and save it.

When we are truly hearing God’s voice or we are experiencing God’s awesome presence, we discover a power that defies logic. It completely overwhelms us as we become one with the creator. It may last only for a few seconds but in that moment we receive a glimpse of the eternal. For the disciples this was an inspiring moment which moved them closer to God.

Third, the disciples needed to listen because they needed to change. When we change we are different. What the disciples witnessed in Jesus was something different. "His face changed and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightening." They had never seen him in this way. For the first time they saw in Jesus a deep and abiding faith. I believe that what they realized in that moment was Jesus’ commitment to a life of self-denial. It’s not about being on the mountain, its about caring for others in the valleys below.

The following day, after Jesus and the disciples had left the mountain, they were encountered by a man whose son was suffering from seizures. Jesus healed him and everyone was amazed. Once again Jesus told his disciples to listen, but they still were hard of hearing. He told them he would be rejected because of his faith, but for that message they did not want to hear.

As we approach the season of Lent we enter into a time of self-denial. To focus on others instead of ourselves requires hearing, trusting and ultimately changing our behavior. When you are unwilling to change you are deaf, unable to hear God’s call to action. When we listen to God we are aware of people around us who have needs or who are hurting. It means we our lives are receptive to others instead of us always being concerned with ourselves.

At age fourteen, Andrea Jaeger won her first professional tennis tournament. At age eighteen she reached the finals at Wimbledon. But when she turned nineteen she acquired a bad shoulder which ended her career. Jaeger had to listen to her body and so she quit playing tennis. She could have become bitter or discontent but instead she turned her competitive spirit into a new endeavor.

She started a nonprofit organization called Kid’s Stuff Foundation. Its a program that brings joy to children suffering from cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Her work inspired her to take courses in nursing and child psychology. Jaeger now runs the program year around. She has been inspired by children who have lost their health, their friends and sometimes their lives. Jaeger once commented, "You get spoiled on a tennis tour, with all the courtesy cars, five-star hotels and thousands of people clapping for you. It’s easy to forget what is important."

Andrea Jaegar has come down from the mountain and now lives in the valleys. God said, "Listen," and she has responded. Can you hear me?

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio