Luke19:48
...because all the people hung on His words.

You know, this speaking thing is kind of a mixed bag. Every crowd is different, every church service is different and so is every person who does or doesn't respond. Even in the meetings where it is obvious that God is moving through the songs, stories or scriptures I'm sharing, there are always those who aren't really engaged with what's going on. It's in those times that this verse amazes me. After Jesus had experienced the whole Palm Sunday parade and had begun teaching in the temples of Jerusalem, the scripture says that all the people hung on His words. Not some. Not the majority. Not even 99%. All.

Let that sink in for a moment, okay? All the people hung on His words. Every person who heard Him say something waited for Him to say something else. They looked at Jesus the same way Sydney looks at me when I'm shaving or telling a story. They were in complete awe of Him and what He was saying. There was a weightiness and an expectation surrounding Jesus that most public speakers would kill for. Of course, He was killed for it.

If the truth is told, everyone wants that kind of power but no one wants to do anything to get it. Just a quick glance at the Gospels reveals a man who spent time away from the crowd in lonely places (Luke 5:16) and who was often attacked and misunderstood by the "important" people (Luke 20:19-26). There seems to be a high price to pay for the ability to speak words with authority and Jesus paid it.

Will you?