Already this month, I have posted about our need to be heard and God’s need to be heard.

But what about Jesus? Does He need to be heard?

Just as much as ever (as in each previous generation and century), His words and teachings need to be heard, understood, and applied. His teachings are true and timeless.

But how He’s heard… Well, that’s another matter.

When we are being heard by another person, I think there are three basic levels on which that can happen.

There is the level at which they are next to us or staring at us but apparently not really focused on anything we are saying.

Then there is the level where they are hearing us out, listening out of polite respect or with cloaked disdain or apathy, or adamantly opposed to our point of view but letting us speak our peace.

And then there is hearing us with their heart. To be heard out is sometimes necessary but if it never moves further, and we are never heard with the heart, something is left wanting in us.

And we must be heard with another’s heart to say that we “have been truly heard.”

Back to Jesus… There are four basic ways in which people generally respond to Him. There are those who never hear about Him, either because they have no chance or they don’t pay attention to religion-related matters.

Then, there are those who are exposed to the thought of Him or a few of His ideas, but those thoughts/ideas go in one ear and out the other.

Then, there are the people who, to some degree, hear Jesus out; He is heard by them but only in so much as they can stand to hear. Or they really like a few things that He has to say, so when He is heard by them, they pick and choose which of His words they want to hold on to.

And then there are people who hear Him with their heart.

But whenever we have our own goals and agendas, I think it is easier to just hear His words out without hearing Him with our hearts.

This may mean we’ve only heard part of what He said and tuned out the rest. Or, more commonly, it may mean we’ve heard His words in full but have run them through our interpretive filters to twist the meaning for the sake of protesting against Him or lording it over or otherwise harming our fellow humans.

Take, for example, a famous story from Luke, about two sisters named Martha and Mary. Martha was busy fixing dinner for all the guests, while Mary was sitting with the rest of the guests, listening to Jesus teach and finding great joy in simply being near Him.

I have heard of people use this story to illustrate how doing nothing or just being is more worshipful than working, or how Martha is a symbol of workaholics and people who try to earn their way to heaven. I’ve also heard people use the story to suggest that Jesus didn’t really listen to and value women while he walked the earth, nor did He appreciate all the work they do to help make home and family a meaningful place. Some have said that Mary is the better of the two sisters, period. Others have said that Martha should have been ashamed for speaking so directly to Jesus, and how dare she interrupt to complain to him? Clearly we are all to only be like trusting, restful Mary and completely avoid Martha’s behaviors!

But when I read the story again and invited Jesus to be heard with my heart, this is where I landed. We can imagine and gather that Jesus loved both women equally well and was pleased with both aspects of their faith: the devoted listening and the passionate service. There is a need for the traits of each of these women in all of our lives, spiritually speaking. If we really allow Jesus to be heard, we hear Him saying that it is great at times to be still and to be near Him in quietness, but also to be near Him in all things, no matter what type of service we may be doing for Him.

These thoughts may be simple, but today they are powerful reminders for me. Because I was always under the impression that I had to be one or the other: Martha or Mary. I couldn’t be both. But as I allow Jesus to be heard, I see clearly that I am both. And both aspects of me in my relationship with Him are good. The key just seems to be that I allow Him to be heard in every day and every aspect of my life, no matter what I am doing or ceasing to do, serving as He gives me purpose and embracing stillness when that would be the better choice.

I wonder what the world would be like if those of us who would hear Jesus would not just hear Him out, but if we allowed Him to be heard rightly with our hearts more often?