Articles
Dull of Hearing - Hebrews 5
Dull of Hearing - Hebrews 5
In one of the many Sunday morning worship settings, I was close to an older man who had been a disciple for many years. We progressed through our worship. We sang some of the same songs we had sung so many times before. We were led in prayer, using many of the same phrases we had used before. Then we had a short talk about ‘do this in remembrance’ of me as we ‘prepared for taking the Lord’s supper’. It was easy to go through the motions of these things.
Then, as we were finishing up with the drinking of the fruit of the vine, I glanced over and saw tears running down the old man’s face. What we were doing touched his heart. Talking about how Jesus loved us and gave himself for us moved him to tears. Remembering how his life and hope for eternity had been changed by this sacrifice of Jesus, brought both sorrow for its need and tears of joy for the mercy it held forth to him.
While many in the same room, even on the same pew, may have ‘gone through the motions’, he was moved to tears. Same songs, same prayers, same talk, but he made the application to himself. He heard with his heart and not just his ears. He made melody with the heart and not just his lips. He was truly NOT dull of hearing!
I often think of him as we come together and try to worship even as he was able to. It takes thought, contemplation, examination, prayer, and realization. It isn’t always easy to accomplish this as the things of the world indeed get in the way. “Lord, help me to remember.”
Hugh DeLong
