Listening At The Critical Moments

Mark 5

While he was still talking, some people came from the leader’s house and told him, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any more?”

For this father and leader whose daughter was sick it must have been a difficult few moments.  First, just as he has gotten your attention he is interrupted by this women who shouldn't have even been out in polite company anyway. Only to receive this unwanted, dreaded news from home.  I am not sure that I would have been able to stay in my out of my own way at this point.  I would have been jumping up and down making a scene. This man resisted the impulse to lash out, instead he listened.

[5.36] Jesus overheard what they were talking about and said to the leader, “Don’t listen to them; just trust me.” [5.37-40] He permitted no one to go in with him except Peter, James, and John.

There are those times when I find myself in the situation of this man...surrounded by a cacophony of voices tugging at my attention.  Most of the time they are caring and concerned voices, which in some ways makes the confusion even deeper.

The people who were at this man elbow were trusted servants and relatives of his house hold.  They were people who saw first hand the death of this beloved little one.  They may have been those who held her hand as she slipped away from this life.  I wonder if the tears were even dry on their faces as they had to face this father's grief.  Certainly, they were concerned and caring voices that surrounded him that day.

In the middle of the crescendoing babble, Lord Jesus reach through with your calm and critically needed words of grace and peace. You told this man the same words that I so often need to hear, “Don’t listen to them; just trust me.”


This are not words that are easy to hear in the babble of voices that surround me sometimes. They are like the voices that this man heard...caring, considerate, even grieving for his loss voices. Of all
of the thoughts that come to me as I reflect on this, the hardest part is the train myself to hear you in the middle of the babble. All other voices are important, none of the others are critical.

That really is the lesson of a life time, to listen and to be able to hear your voice in the middle of the distractions that surround me. Your voice is the voice that calls me to hope in the darkness, to love when I fear I am abandoned, to reach out when I would prefer to withdraw, to push when I would just as soon give up. Your voice is the one that calls me to doing the next right thing that stands in front of me when I would just as soon stay put on the couch.

More often than not I  hear your voice...give me the courage, strength and determination to follow it...today.

Peterson, Eugene H. (2006-06-15). The Message Remix 2.0: The Bible In contemporary Language (pp. 1799-1800). NavPress. Kindle Edition.