Hear The Lord
“Whoever has ears, let them hear.” These were the words of our Lord Jesus Christ following His parables of the Sower. Jesus was addressing a tragic condition of humanity: people can hear without understanding and see without perceiving. He reminded His disciples of the prophecy of Isaiah:
“You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” Matthew 13:14–15
The tragedy is not always that people cannot hear; sometimes they simply refuse to hear.
The Story:
On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared from radar while traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board. Its disappearance remains one of the great mysteries of modern aviation.
On September 30, 2026, another aviation incident reportedly placed passengers in a frightening and potentially disastrous situation. The difference, however, was that the disaster was averted through God by the courage and determination of those who intervened: the Pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar, who opened the cockpit door to let in crew and Passengers, who restrained the first officer and saved the plane from crashing.
Concerns:
If the reports concerning the incident and the alleged motives of the young Muslim, Hamam al Hamami, and co-pilot involved are accurate, there is a sobering lesson for us. The danger of radicalization is real. When an individual is indoctrinated to believe that killing innocent people is a pathway to religious reward, the cockpit of an aircraft, or any position of responsibility, can become a deadly instrument. Images of former al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and suicide bomber Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi were found on al-Hammami’s social media. It was believed that he planned to crash the plane into a Tel Aviv skyscraper, or into Ben Gurion Airport, similar to the September 11 event in the United States of America
But there is nothing new about the fundamental conflict confronting humanity. Scripture presents the world as a battleground between good and evil, righteousness and wickedness, truth and deception. Every minute, every hour, every day, the world witnesses acts of extraordinary goodness from people whose hearts are inclined toward God, as well as acts of terrible evil committed by those consumed by hatred and extremism.
The attacks of September 11, 2001, October 7, 2023, and other acts of terrorism have demonstrated the devastating consequences of radical extremism. And the perpetrators have been of the same religious ideology: radical Islam. Ironically, not many in the world listen. Critical organizations in the world, such as the United Nations, are biased and have not seen any reason to condemn such actions. These organizations and individuals have paid lip service to the Holocaust mindlessly and shamefully. The lives of the Jews and Christians all over the world are not sacred to these groups of people. For example, the Mayor of New York was during the remembrance of October 7, 2023 continued to accuse Israel of genocide which people believe is not accurate.
Admonition:
We must have the courage to condemn terrorism and the ideologies that justify the murder of innocent people, regardless of who commits them or whom they claim to represent. Sadly, however, there are times when the world appears unable, or unwilling, to hear. Political interests, ideological commitments, and competing narratives can become so powerful that moral clarity is sacrificed. The lives of innocent Jews, Christians, and people of every background are sacred because every human being is created in the image of God.
As Christians, we must be particularly careful not to allow political allegiance to replace biblical conviction. Our faith must not be placed on the back burner whenever our political preferences are challenged. We should be willing to examine every political party, movement, government, and ideology through the lens of Scripture.
Paul gave a sobering warning to the believers in Philippi:
“For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven.”
Philippians 3:18–20
Our ultimate citizenship is not political. It is heavenly, the truth that Christians must take to heart.
Therefore, Christians must not let political loyalty shape our understanding of righteousness, justice, truth, or evil. We must be able to condemn terrorism and violence, whoever committed it.
While we should not blame ordinary Muslims for the actions of extremists and jihadist organizations and ideologies that advocate violence against innocent people, we must not be afraid to call out such ungodly actions. Our response must be truth, justice, prayer, vigilance, and the proclamation of the Gospel.
The greater danger is not merely having a jihadist in the cockpit of an airplane; the greater danger is allowing destructive ideologies to occupy the cockpit of our nation. Our institutions, our communities, and our high political offices in our nation are gradually being taken over by jihadists or their sympathisers while we remain asleep.
America must remain vigilant against terrorism and every ideology that seeks to destroy innocent lives and undermine constitutional freedom. Christians must also remain spiritually vigilant. We cannot afford to be passengers who surrender moral responsibility to someone else, and worse still to violators of human dignity.
Great Question:
Who is in the cockpit? That is the question we should all be asking.
Jesus said, “Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
The world needs to hear the truth. The Church needs to hear the truth. And we need to ask God for ears to hear, eyes to see, hearts to understand, and the courage to stand for righteousness.
Are you nervous? I am concerned. But more importantly, I am praying.
Michael Jolayemi is the Author of:
- Saving America: The war we can’t ignore
- Sheltered Through the Storm: The Travails and Ultimate Triumph of the Church
- The Mysteries of God, the Origin We Don’t Know, the Eternity We Should Believe
- Watch out for his next book – Defying Death – How to Live and Not Die
