Saturday 14 October 2023

Psalm 141:1-5

Background

This week we have been reading Hebrews chapters 3 and 4. The author gave a warning, encouraging readers not to be complacent, and to ensure they remained in the rest of God given to them through Jesus. He tells them to do their best to enter that place of rest (4:11).

So, it seems a startling switch today in verse 12 to be reminded about the activity and power of the Word of God, which is likened to a two-edged sword that divides, judges and reveals the hidden thoughts and intentions of the heart. It feels a very uncomfortable place to be. With the incisiveness of the surgeon’s knife, God’s Word reveals who we are and who we are not. Echoing the Genesis story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, nothing can be hidden: both the good and the evil in us are revealed and we are naked before God.

As with all scripture, we must take care not to take a verse or two in isolation and try to make complete sense of it. If we did that with verses 12-13, I, for one, would be cowering before Almighty God.

When we think about the ‘Word of God,’ often we are encouraged to think of it as the Bible, both Old and New Testament, and in some sense, this could be considered correct. But of course, ultimately the Word of God is Jesus. In John’s Gospel 1:1 we read "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God".

John is clear he wants us to know Jesus is the Living Word of God who was with God from the beginning. This is the same Living Word (Jesus) who spent his entire ministry giving out free forgiveness, instead of the poor and unclean having to purchase it from the Temple. It is this Living Word who does indeed reach into the hearts of people and transforms lives. We tend to think about knives as being dangerous. However, in the right hands, knives are essential for healing, cutting out diseased tissue and separating the good from the bad.

The author of Hebrews is saying that Christ, the Living Word, is the ultimate in transforming love. When the Word enters a person, it demands decisions. We must not only listen to the Word, but we also need to accept and act on it. To do otherwise, the author warns, means we eternally give up the freely offered promise of rest of God.   

To Ponder:                      .

• Does it make any difference thinking about Jesus being the Living Word?
• In what ways do you hear or experience the Word of God? Does it matter how?
• What decisions have you made prompted by the Word of God and what happened as a result?

Prayer

Living God, who speaks to us in so many ways, help us to always be alive to the possibility and purpose of your Word. Help us to be open to hear your Word, have the faith to receive it, and the courage to act on it. Amen.

Prisons Week

8-14 October 2023 is Prisons Week, which the Methodist Church sponsors. All of this week’s contributions are written by Methodist prison chaplains.