The word becomes flesh in us...

"Be still and know that I am God!" ~ Psalm 46:10

The Scriptures provide us with all kinds of examples of how God is present in the word. Often I have wondered what it must have been like to have been in the synagogue the day the boy, Jesus, walked in and began to tell the story that he had helped inspire.

There he read from Isaiah:
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, for he has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives, sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim a year of favor from the Lord.
(Luke 4:18-19)

After he read from scripture, he then looked around and said, "This text is being fulfilled today even while you are listening."

Imagine the look that people had on their faces! It becomes clear that the afflicted, the captives, the blind, and the oppressed are not people somewhere outside of the synagogue who, someday, will be liberated; they are the people who are listening.

It's like John walking in again and proclaiming "The Kingdom of God is at hand" and it is here!

In the hearing of Jesus speaking the word, God becomes present and heals!

The Word of God is not a word to apply in our daily lives at some later date; it is a word to heal us through, and in, our listening here and now.

The sacrament of the word becomes real and powerful. Utilizing the strength of scripture takes the word of God to a whole different level. We are reminded to hide the words within our hearts. In doing so, the word continues to become flesh and lives and breathes new life each day through each of us!

May the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart be living and real in the world today and always.

Stay in God's grip!

​G. Todd Williams (c) 2017