Imagine that you’re driving through an unfamiliar city, relying solely on your GPS to guide you. You’re trying to get to an important meeting, one that you absolutely cannot miss. But as you drive, you’re caught up in a conversation, maybe scrolling through your phone, or thinking about your busy day. Then, suddenly, the GPS tries to reroute you—there’s a quicker, safer way. But you’re distracted. You miss the prompt. Instead of adjusting, you keep going, driving miles off course. By the time you realize it, you’ve lost precious time. The GPS was trying to guide you, but because you weren’t listening closely, you missed the directions that would have led you exactly where you needed to go.
In our reading from Luke 9:44-48, Jesus is, in a sense, that divine GPS for His disciples. He knows the path ahead; He sees what they cannot see. And so He says to them, “Let these words sink into your ears.” He doesn’t just tell them to listen. He urges them to listen carefully, with full attention, because what He is about to say is crucial. Jesus is revealing to them that He will be betrayed, that He must suffer—but the disciples are too preoccupied with their own ambitions. Their hearts are full of questions about their own greatness, about who among them will be first. They hear His words, but they do not truly listen.
This brings us to a profound truth: every great Biblical miracle has two basic components that set it into motion—first, God speaks, and second, people listen. Whether it’s the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, Joshua marching around Jericho, or Mary accepting the angel’s message, God’s miracles begin with His Word. But those miracles only unfold when people listen and respond with faith. The seas don’t part, walls don’t crumble, and saviors aren’t born unless human hearts are tuned to hear and obey the divine voice.
Before every Gospel reading, the deacon’s voice rings out, commanding us: “Listen attentively!”—Yergughadzutyamp Lvaruk, Broskhoume. It’s not just a formality, my friends. It’s an invitation to focus, to open our ears and our hearts to God’s Word. Because God knows how easily we, too, can become distracted. He knows how our minds wander to our plans, our worries, our ambitions. Just like the disciples, we are often so wrapped up in our own thoughts that we miss the divine message God is speaking directly to us.
In our own lives, God is constantly speaking—through Scripture, through prayer, through the still, small voice that whispers in our hearts. But are we truly listening? Are we allowing God to redirect us when we’ve gone off course, or are we stubbornly sticking to our own plans? Are we like those who hear but do not act, or are we like Abraham, who when he heard, “Go,” went without question?
The call to “listen attentively” is a reminder that God’s guidance is always available, but it requires us to pay attention, to be still, to open our hearts to His direction. We must not just listen to God’s voice but respond with action—like Noah who built an ark, like the blind man who cried out to Jesus, like the woman with the issue of blood who reached out in faith.
Let us, then, take this lesson to heart. Let us listen carefully—not just with our ears, but with our souls. For when we truly listen, we align ourselves with God’s plan, and we are ready to be led wherever He desires to take us. God speaks; we listen. That is how miracles happen. Amen.
