home > Pastor’s Desk > 2024 > September 6th > WHEN JESUS SPOKE, PEOPLE DID MORE THAN LISTEN

Jesus is universally admired. Based on the work of J. Warner Wallace, in his book, Person of Interest, every major religion has respect for Jesus and what He taught. No other religious leader has been so highly regarded. Yet, no other religious leader has been more misrepresented by other religions! This is why if anyone really wants to know who Jesus is, and what He taught, it is best to go direct to the source — the Gospels. But beware. If you do, you will likely be surprised. Jesus spent time speaking with young children, invalids, the ill, women, and despised, the rejected, the hated, and the arrogant. But it’s not just that He spoke with these often overlooked people—it’s how these people responded when He did. If I have one big regret about my preaching, it is that I never learnt how to speak to people like Jesus obviously did. If you read the Gospel of Matthew you may be shocked how Jesus spoke to those in power – especially religious leaders. If you read the Gospel of John you may be shocked how outrageous Jesus’ very public claims sounded – especially when it sounded like He said that if anyone destroyed the thirty-six acres of the Temple precinct, which had taken 46-years to build, He could rebuild it in just three days! And if you read the Gospel of Luke you may be stunned by how Jesus spoke publicly to certain high-profile people but even more stunned by how those people responded to Jesus. And this is what I want to discuss very briefly, but I want to cheat because I want to draw upon the poetry of William Thompson to do so.   

WHAT JESUS SAID

You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
¶ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
¶ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs,
which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.
So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Matthew 23:24-28

All of Matthew 23 is the record of Jesus denouncing the Jewish religious scribes, Pharisees, and Rabbis, with very strong language. Yet how did Jesus pronounce these denouncements? As harsh as these statements sound on paper, as the above excerpt demonstrates, those whom He was addressing must have heard Jesus caring for them with great tenderness and sincerity. I wish I could preach the truth like this!

THE WAY JESUS SAID IT

¶ There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
Luke 13:1-5

At one point, Jesus was asked who the worst sinners were. His answer was jaw-dropping.

“Everyone!”

“Yes, but who needs to repent?” He was asked.

“Everyone!” Jesus answered.

Imagine being in the crowd hearing this from Jesus. Now imagine this. How would you feel if I came up to you and said, “I tell you the truth; unless you repent, you will perish for eternity!” This is what Jesus told the crowds who had come to hear Him. And while not everyone accepted what Jesus said, many did as we later read in the Book of Acts (Acts 15:5). Perhaps those whose hearts were closed and cold to Christ merely heard an angry condemning man. But perhaps those who were open to Jesus heard a man whom they knew loved them and cared for them? And those many who did heard an extraordinary man who loved them deeply, and cared for them immeasurably. 

WHEN WILLIAM LAMARTINE THOMPSON MET JESUS

William L. Thompson was born in Ohio in 1847. He studied music as a young and was talented enough to be invited to study music in Germany. After some time in Germany, he returned to America and became a popular song-writer for famous performing artists. But Thompson also began to experience rejections from music publishers. During this difficult phase of his life he turned to Christ. He had begun reading through the Gospels with fresh zeal and discovered that the Jesus described in those Gospels was deeply caring, very tender especially with women and children and anyone who truly turned to Him. Even though he had started his own music publishing company and also a music store in Ohio, his focus and priorities had now changed.

In the 1870s there were many people in the America and the United Kingdom who were coming to Christ under the evangelistic ministry of Dwight L. Moody. Thompson was certainly aware of the great evangelist. He had moved from writing popular songs to writing hymns. He wrote a hymn that he felt was appropriate for the type of evangelistic meetings that Mr. Moody was conducted. He called it, an invitation hymn. It was designed to come after the sermon and led to what had become referred to as ‘the altar call’ where people were invited to receive Christ and become a Christian. The invitation hymn was called, Softly and Tenderly. When D.L. Moody first heard it he insisted that they begin using it in their revival meetings. In fact, it almost became known  as D.L. Moody song! As the aged Mr. Moody was confined to what would be his death-bed, he called for Mr. Thompson and told him: 

“I would rather have written ‘Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling’ than anything I have been able to do in my whole life.” – D.L. Moody

I first heard this hymn when popular, but troubled, Australian singer, Debbie Byrne sang it at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl’s Carols by Candle Light. Knowing some her horrific life journey, I was deeply moved by her rendition of this song. Because I admit that I have been unable to convey through any sermon that I ever preached just how loving, caring, gentle, and just, Jesus is, I now feel that if I cite William Thompson’s Softly and Tenderly to make this case, I am cheating legitimately. I conclude with the words of his beautiful song:

1 Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
calling for you and for me;
see, on the portals he’s waiting and watching,
watching for you and for me.

Refrain:
Come home, come home;
you who are weary come home;
earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home!

2 Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not his mercies,
mercies for you and for me? [Refrain]

3 Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
passing from you and from me;
shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
coming for you and for me. [Refrain]

4 O for the wonderful love he has promised,
promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, he has mercy and pardon,
pardon for you and for me. [Refrain]

I hope you will agree that Will Thompson’s invitational hymn beautifully presents Christ. Perhaps even more potentially, I hope this song helps you, and those you know, to hear how Jesus really sounded, when He called people to repent — and perhaps might help us to realise how Jesus still sounds when He calls people to repent today when they hear Him invite, “Come home.” And, I hope this song helps you to understand why when Jesus spoke people did more than just listen – they responded to Him gladly and were eternally grateful for doing so.

Your Pastor,

Andrew

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