January
2009 - Vol. 26
Jesus,
the Word of Life continued
Another title for the word of God is the sword of the Spirit in Ephesians
6:17. Paul urges us to use the word of God as a weapon in our spiritual
battle against the forces of Satan. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness
by the devil, he subdued him with the word of God.
“It is written,
‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from
the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4).
"Again it is written, 'You
shall not tempt the Lord your God'" (Matthew 4:7).
"Begone, Satan! for it is
written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve'"
(Matthew 4:10).
Servants of the
Word
St. Augustine of Hippo was recognized in his day (5th century) as a
great teacher and church leader. Today his numerous sermons and books continue
to instruct and inspire Christian teachers and disciples alike. Augustine
told his fellow monks and his congregation at Hippo that he wanted to be
remembered simply as a “servant of the Word.”
“We are servants
of the Word – not our own word, of course, but the word of God, and of
our Lord” (Sermon 114,1).
“When I unpack the holy Scriptures
for you, it is as though I were breaking open bread for you. You who hunger,
receive it. ..What I am dealing out to you is not mine. What you eat, I
eat. What you live on, I live on. We have in heaven a common storehouse,
for from it comes the Word of God. ..From that which I feast on – from
that I feed you. I am a table-servant, not the master of the house. From
that which I set before you – from that I too draw my life.”
Like St. Augustine and countless witnesses of the Christian faith throughout
the ages – who courageously proclaimed the truth of the gospel, even in
the face of opposition and persecution – we, too, are called to be beacons
of hope in a world hopelessly adrift. The Lord calls his people to be a
prophetic witness – a people who can live and speak God’s word with purity
and sincerity, with humility and boldness. Our call is to be, like St.
Augustine, servants of God's word.
Our message, our witness to the gospel, will only be credible if we
live out what we say. Children instinctively distinguish between the words
and actions of their parents. What one does speaks louder than what one
says. When our words match our example and actions, then our words truly
impact others.
The gospel message and the way of life we are called to witness to as
Christ’s disciples will go against the tide of the world and will provoke
opposition from the world. But the gospel message will also bring blessing,
freedom, peace, and refreshment to those who are hungry for God.
Only one Word
can truly satisfy a hungry world
If we thirst for God’s word and receive it with a willingness to learn
and obey, we will not be disappointed. It is the Lord himself who draws
us to the springs of living waters to quench our thirst at the font of
his word. He invites us to feast daily from the rich storehouse of his
word. That word should be our daily bread that sustains us on our journey
to the Father’s house in heaven.
Our Western media culture inundates us constantly with its words, sounds,
and images promising pleasure, life, and happiness. Only one word, one
image, can truly satisfy – that word and image is Jesus Christ, the Word
of Life and Image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15).
Go
to > | 1
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Also
see > Icon
of Christ from Mount Sinai
[Don
Schwager is a member of The
Servants of the Word and the author of the Daily
Scripture Reading and Meditation website.]
