God Heard

Sermon October 18 2015 from Heather Rodenborg on Vimeo.

Devotional for Chapel on 10/18/15.

Hebrews 5:1-10

Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.”

When you pray, do you ever feel like no one is listening? Have you ever sat pray feeling like your words were just drifting off unheard? Here in the hospital, prayers are said daily. There are prayers for healing to take place for someone who is ill, prayers for comfort for families who have lost a family member, prayers of thanksgiving for those celebrating a new life, and sometimes just prayers to make it through the day. I have heard people question whether or not their prayers have been heard, or even wonder why they aren’t being answered. Are our prayers just empty words floating off into the world unheard?

I remember at a young age going to church and being taught that we need to pray each day to God. In our prayers, I was told that I needed to ask for forgiveness. In asking for forgiveness from God then I could ask God for the things that I needed. The church taught this was biblical because Jesus said in Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” And if the bible says that all we have to do is ask and we will receive, well then my prayers will be heard and answered, right? I don’t know about you, but I have a lot of prayers that feel like they have gone unheard and unanswered. I remember in high school the more simple prayers, “God help me pass this test,” or “God help me get an A in math.” That didn’t always happen. Then when I was 20, I remember sitting next to my dad in the hospital. I remember praying over and over for God to heal him, praying for God to bring him back to us from his accident. When my dad died, I felt like God didn’t hear me. I felt like God was ignoring my prayers. I questioned God about this. Why God didn’t you hear me and answer my prayers for my dad, he was a good man. He went to church, he loved his neighbors, he did everything right. Where my prayers not heard?

Jesus did everything right. Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. We read in the bible the stories of him walking with the people, healing them, teaching them, and loving them. Jesus was a man without sin; yet even his prayers went unanswered. We read about him in the garden on the night of his arrest, “God not my will but yours be done.” Jesus didn’t want to die on the cross. Jesus even cried out on the cross, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me.” Where Jesus’ prayers not heard?

 These questions of whether or not we are heard, or if Jesus was heard, are found in our scripture this morning. More precisely in Hebrews 5:7, “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.” It doesn’t say that Jesus’ prayers were answered; it says that he was heard. God heard Jesus’ loud cries. God heard Jesus’ tears. Jesus’ prayers didn’t go unheard; God heard every single one of them.

  Reading that God heard Jesus prayers gives me hope. Yes, his prayers weren’t answered, but God isn’t a genie who grants wishes. God is our creator who hears the cries and prayers of all of us. In God’s hearing, God acknowledges our existence. Our cries, our prayers, bring voice to the pain we are suffering through. They bring voice to the struggles that we are trying to overcome. They bring voice to the grief that is weighing heavy on our hearts.

As a chaplain, I’ve learned to listen to both the said and unsaid. There have been many times when I have asked someone “How are you today,” to those in my presence and received the response of, “I’m doing good.” This is a common polite interaction that many of us do multiple times daily with friends, family, and co-workers. However, I’ve learned to read people and listen for the unsaid. The other day when I posed this to friend, she responded with a polite, “Doing good.” I could tell she didn’t look good, she looked tired. I said to her, “I don’t know if I believe that because you look tired to me.” In acknowledging the unsaid, she broke down. She shared with me everything that was going on her life. When she was done, she thanked me for listening. The only thing that I could do for her in that moment was to listen. I couldn’t solve her suffering. I couldn’t even provide her with any ideas on how to manage everything. All I could do was listen and tell her that I would be holding her in prayer. In listening to her, I acknowledged her pain and suffering that she was going through. That is what God does with us.

God listens to everything we lift up, whether is be in joy or sorrow. God acknowledges our cries, our pain, and our suffering just as God did with Jesus. It’s okay to cry out in pain and anger to God, and it’s okay to unload all our worries and fears to God. God can handle it all, and God will hear it all. God says to us, “Speak my beloved child, for I am listening.”

Amen