Part 8 – The Humility of Listening

Humility Without Fault: The Way of Jesus

Theme Verse

“He asked them, ‘What are you discussing together as you walk along?’ They stood still, their faces downcast.”
— Luke 24:17 (NIV)

“When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, ‘Will you give Me a drink?’ … Then He told her, ‘I who speak to you am He.’”
— John 4:7, 26 (NIV)

Reflection

In a world full of noise, listening is an act of love — and one of the most overlooked forms of humility.
Jesus, who knew all things, still chose to listen.
He asked questions not because He lacked knowledge, but because He valued hearts.

When He met the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, He didn’t begin with a sermon.
He began with a question:

“What are you discussing together as you walk along?” — Luke 24:17
He let them speak their confusion, sorrow, and disappointment.
Only then did He open the Scriptures to explain the truth.

When He met the Samaritan woman, He initiated conversation with curiosity, not accusation:

“Will you give Me a drink?” — John 4:7
He listened to her story, her pain, her theology — and only after listening did He reveal His identity as the Messiah.

That’s humility without fault: listening before correcting, hearing before speaking.

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
— James 1:19 (NIV)

Listening was one of Jesus’ greatest forms of verbal grace.
It gave dignity to the overlooked and built bridges with the rejected.

Biblical Scenes

  1. The Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13–27)
    Jesus walked beside the grieving disciples, listened to their words, and gently led them to understanding.
    Their eyes were opened not by argument, but by patient dialogue.
  2. The Samaritan Woman at the Well (John 4:4–26)
    Jesus engaged, questioned, and truly heard her.
    His listening heart turned a social outcast into the first evangelist of her town.
  3. Bartimaeus the Blind Beggar (Mark 10:46–52)
    Before healing him, Jesus asked, “What do you want Me to do for you?” (v.51)
    He didn’t assume — He listened, allowing the man to voice his faith.

Application

  • Listen before you respond.
    Humility means letting others feel heard. “To answer before listening — that is folly and shame.” — Proverbs 18:13 (NIV)
  • Ask questions that show care.
    Like Jesus, ask not to challenge, but to understand.
  • Hear pain beneath words.
    True listening means hearing the heart, not just the sentence.

Prayer

Lord Jesus,
You listened to the lost, the broken, and the weary.
Teach me to listen with Your compassion —
to hear what others mean, not just what they say.
Make my silence patient, my questions kind,
and my ears instruments of Your love.
Amen.

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