Healing through Listening
Matthew 4:23
“I could feel her listening with all her heart … and it felt good.” That may be a paraphrase but those or similar words came from the main character in the movie “Because of Winn-Dixie.”
The little girl (sorry, I don’t remember her name) in “Because of Winn-Dixie” was telling a character named Cloe all about her self. She had wanted to tell someone all about herself for a long time and now was her chance. She talked and talked to Cloe and as she emptied her soul to this new friend, she felt good. Read those words again that were spoken as narration during the scene, “I could feel her listening with all her heart … and it felt good.”
It feels good to have people listening to us. Sometimes just a sincere listen from an interested individual is all it takes to heal. Jesus healed. As seen in our verse for today, it was part of his three fold mission on earth, teaching, preaching the good news, and healing. While I personally don’t subscribe to the idea that men can miraculously heal others today like televangelists claim; I do believe that others can be healed emotionally and maybe even physically (lower blood pressure, etc) by our care, concern, and our listening ears. Look what listening did for that girl in the movie (please email me the name of that little girl if you know it.) Cloe listened with all her heart. That’s so hard for us to do sometimes. God gave us ears, but we need a bit more to really listen to others. We need hearts full of love and mercy. I think God loves a really great listener.
If we really think about Jesus’ three fold mission of teaching, preaching the good news, and healing, we as the church (Christians) should be continuing his mission. We most likely never think that we can heal others but we can. Let us all put a little more effort into listening. It will please others and it will please God.
