Audience

"Whoever's got ears to hear with, listen up!" Mark 4:9.

So says Jesus. But first, a note or two about words like audience. Comes from the ancient word, aud-ire, to hear. An aud-ience is a group of people who hear, they're listeners. An aud-itorium is a place where people gather in order to hear; a hearing place. So. Jesus' auditorium here, the listening place, is a beach; Jesus' podium is a boat. Jesus' audience is the crowd gathered there. Jesus says to his audience, his listeners, his hearers: Listen up! The words he speaks give life. But not if they are not heeded. Hear! Says Jesus.

We gather with a brother or sister today to hear afresh Jesus' life-giving words. And, together, we give thanks to God for giving us ears to hear with, so as to heed him into forever life.