Where is "listening" in the Bible

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steve.dudenhoeffer

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Quick question: Where in the Bible does it discuss how to listen?

Longer question:
Since the 2016 presidential election, it seems like people have yelled their opinions rather than listening. People use social media to throw “hate” at others…they protests…even the people going on “news” networks now yell instead of just giving a new point of view. I even noticed that I got angrier in my personal life just because I like politics and want to stay informed.

Then I discovered podcasts. I listened to the Dave Rubin Show and he would spend almost a whole hour just listening to all different points of views. This was refreshing. Sometimes I agreed with his guest speakers, other times I disagreed–but each time I learned something new.

At the same time, I found many churches have podcasts so I started listening to them as well.

All of this led me to wonder how I could be a better listener. One thing I remember from my youth is the priest saying that the Bible has answers for life’s biggest questions. So then I started wondering where I would look in the Bible for this question.

Which leads me back to my simple question: Where in the Bible does it discuss how to listen?
 
The first instance that comes to mind is from 1 Kings, chapter 19, the Lord was not in the earthquake or the fire, but, a very small sound.
 
You could try Sirach 3:29
“The mind of the intelligent appreciates proverbs,
and an attentive ear is the desire of the wise”.
 
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Proverbs 18:13
Whoever answers before listening,
theirs is folly and shame.
 
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Mt 11:15
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Generally, any Bible study is aimed at hearing the Word of God better, with more understanding. So it is all about listening.

One of my favorite images for this is Mark 14:47-49:
And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me? I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled.
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If you want someone to listen, do not start by cutting off their ears, as by insulting or belittling them.
 
steve.dudenhoeffer said:
Quick question: Where in the Bible does it discuss how to listen?
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Start in the Old Testament with the Shema. This word literally means hear, listen, obey.

"hear oh Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength,
And you shall love your neighbour as yourself. …

This prayer/Psalm was recited several times daily by the Ancient Israelites. It is found on the oldest Hebrew Manuscript we have.
 
Maybe not what you are looking for but a prayer I use before reading the Bible…

Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.
1 Samuel 3:9
 
Listening is also a form of discernment of spirits. Read, hear, see something, then pay attention, without judgment, to your own reaction.

Is it:
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
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or,
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
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Also, Fr. Timothy Gallagher has some podcasts about St. Ignatius’ rules for discernment of spirits at discerninghearts.com
 
Listening is supposed to occur when God speaks. When God speaks we should be quiet and listen.
 
“Did not that rich man go away from His presence sorrowful? . . . and yet afterwards, what one individual, having heard from Him, did not, that many did, when He spake by the mouth of His disciples . . . Behold, He did greater works when spoken of by men believing than when speaking to men hearing. But there is yet this difficulty: that He did these ‘greater works’ by the apostles: whereas He saith as meaning not only them: . . . ‘He that believeth in Me’ . . . Listen! . . . ‘He that believeth in Me, the works that I do, he also shall do’:” (STh III, q. 43, a. 4, Rep 2: citing Augustine Tract. lxxi)

“And a voice came out of the cloud; saying: This is my beloved son. Hear him.”
(Lk 9:35) I think in the way Luke presents this in greek (I could be wrong, it might be in Matthew, Mark; I am certain in one of the evangelists the following is true) The Father is telling the apostles to not only to hear him once but to assiduously listen to Him.
 
vivnes said:
The Father is telling the apostles to not only to hear him once but to assiduously listen to Him.
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It’s interesting to read in your sentence the words “hear” and “listen”. You would think that two words are synonymous but are not. You can hear but not be actively listening- or take in what you heard

The Prophet Isaiah spoke about this dynamic of hearing without listening.

9 And He said, "Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ 10 “Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.” (Isaiah 6:9-10)
 
One verse from the Septuagint, that had sunk deep into me: “if ye believe not, neither will ye at all understand.” (Isa 6:9)

When one understands, perception is obtained to the underlining meaning. The Fathers can be hard to translate. The sentence you mention indicates the difficulty. I’m glad something positive came from it.

“Augustine says ( Octog. Tri. Quaest . qu. xlvi), Such is the power inherent in ideas, that no one can be wise unless they are understood .” (Summa Theologica, I, q. 15, a. 1, sc.) Not only is listening and understanding a good from the exterior, it is also beneficial to listen and not just to hear from the interior.
 
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I agree with you on what Augustine wrote, that no one can be wise unless they are understood .” (Summa Theologica, I, q. 15, a. 1, sc.)

Isaiah passage had captured all senses of wisdom in hearing, listening, understanding and then seeing in order to perceive. That knowing is seeing which goes with this passage.

Mark 4:1-20 English Standard Version (ESV)​

The Parable of the Sower,

And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.

"But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

The first word in the parable is “listen!”. With a exclamation mark indicating a forceful utterance or strong feeling (as to the meaning). So Jesus wanted this understood forcefully or with strong feelings or high volume (shouting), or to show emphasis. ( With meaning or to define).

It was those who “heard” and “accepted it” and then they were able to bear fruit. "thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” Wisdom of God bears fruit. All opposite of Isaiah’s statement for the many who did hear the word and accepted it.

Many passages that goes toward the apostle Paul’s writings that connect with Isaiah and Mark’s passage perfectly, Romans 10:18, Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. 18 But I ask, did they not hear? [Indeed they did:] “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the [world.”] 19 I ask instead: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says: “I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation without understanding.”…(Referencing to the Song of Moses Deuteronomy 32, “Give ear, O heavens, and let me speak; And let the earth hear the words of my mouth. …)

I think of Exodus 4:11, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? All these things come from God.
 
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Brian_K said:
Listening is also a form of discernment of spirits. Read, hear, see something, then pay attention, without judgment, to your own reaction.
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And there is this.

Jesus makes a huge statement without explanation.

John 10:27

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me;

In that context it could also be described as His sheep listen because of who’s talking…
 
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