Revelation 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
I have the joy of very frequent interactions with my seven grandchildren. They live in the same town and we all get along. I know it is rare these days to have close connection to your grown children and their children, but we are blessed is this regard.
One of the responsibilities we feel a parents and grandparents is to speak into the lives of these young people. And we try to speak with our lives first, then with our words. We want them to know, first and foremost, that they are loved and accepted in our family. They can be safe and at rest with us.
But there are times when we must speak with words. Often it is a bit of wisdom that they seem to need in that moment. It has been a learning process for me as I figure out how to do that speaking. I am learning to try to wrap it in a personal story as a way to make it more palatable.
But I remember what it was like as a kid when my grandparents tried to speak into my life. Most of what they said stuck eventually because I knew they loved me. But in the moment, I often smiled that smile that said, “I am listening because that is what I am supposed to do, but I am not sure I want to hear what you have to say.”
Have you done that? Put on the listening front and been somewhere else in your mind? If you are in a relationship for more than three months, you have done this at least once. Luckily, we have cell phones that allow us to communicate so effectively and personally with emojis! (Please hear sarcastic tone.)
But the ability to have someone listen to your message and put it into action in their lives is not something new. Humans have always been good at smiling instead of really listening. Really listening can be very difficult to do. Try it sometime!
The words of introduction in our text pronounce a blessing on those who hear this letter written to these seven churches in Asia Minor, modern day Turkey. Reading aloud, and hearing things read aloud, has made a comeback in recent years with audio books and podcasts. Hearing adds a different dimension to the experience as compared to just reading silently.
For this first century community, hearing was the primary way communication between communities happened. Letters were sent and then read aloud. Remember, no copy machines, no FWD on your email. They had the original letter and nothing more, so they read it out loud to each other.
But the writer John knows there can be a tendency to listen, but not really hear. We need to “take it to heart.” We need to let it sink into our spirits to the point that it changes our behavior, becoming more holy and righteous in what we do, especially toward other people.
We need to take it to heart. When a child tells you they are hurting, we need to take it to heart. When someone tells you they are lonely, take it to heart. Hungry, take it to heart and get them a meal. When we hear the Spirit speak to us, we need to take it to heart and jump into action.
The Arnold Journey 