Sermon for February 17th, 2013: "The Living Word"

Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
Romans 10:8b-13
Luke 4:1-13

All quotations from scripture come from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, with the exception of the Psalms, which come from The Book of Common Prayer, 1979. Not all scripture passages from the lectionary may be quoted or referenced in a given Sunday's sermon. For more information on the lectionary used in The Episcopal Church, please visit http://www.lectionarypage.net/.

“The Living Word”

The Rev. Nicholas S. Szobota

February 17, 2013
Christ Church, West River, Maryland

First Sunday in Lent

If I said to one of you, “Give me a word” or “What’s the good word,” you would probably know that I wasn’t asking for just one unit of language. I’m asking for a message or for news. In some churches, people might ask the preacher, “Give us a word from the pulpit.” Again, they’re probably not expecting just one word but a sermon. Depending on the church, that sermon might go on for half an hour or more, which is of course not the case here.

When we talk about the “word” in the Church, we might make reference to some theological meanings. There’s the Word of God found in the Bible, for instance, but there is also an understanding that Jesus is the Word of God. The first chapter of John’s gospel makes strong use of this terminology. It begins, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1) and later continues, “And the Word became flesh and lived among us” (John 1:14a). Jesus Christ, the Word of God, came amongst us to share the Word of God in his message.

Today’s reading from Luke features Jesus making use of God’s word to confront the devil’s temptations. After Jesus fasted for forty days in the wilderness, he longs for food. The devil tells him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Jesus answers, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’” The devil then takes Jesus up to where he can see all the kingdoms of the world, and the devil promises to make Jesus their ruler if he will worship the devil. Jesus replies, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”

Then, the devil decides to use Jesus’ own tactics. He takes Jesus to the top of the temple in Jerusalem and tells him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you to protect you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” These words should sound familiar, because they come from Psalm 91. We read parts of that psalm today, and it words inspire the song “On Eagles’ Wings.” Those who follow NFL football may remember that Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens wore a shirt referencing this psalm underneath his uniform during one of this year’s playoff games. I’m not trying to join the ranks of those bashing Ray Lewis or to say he’s the devil, but perhaps someone should have told Mr. Lewis that very psalm was used by the devil to tempt Jesus.

The point here is that one must be careful about using scripture. Jesus suggests this in his response to the devil, because he changes his tactics in response to this last temptation. He replies, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”  Instead of responding, “It is written,” Jesus responds, “It is said.” Jesus suggests that the Word of God is not just text on a page to be quoted, but must be lived. The Word did not just get written long ago, but should live on our lips and in our lives now.

During Lent, many people pay deeper attention to scripture. Some at Christ Church do this already. Some of us have begun reading the Bible as part of the Bible Challenge, an attempt to read the entire Bible in the year 2013. Even if some don’t finish, at least they will have read more than they would have otherwise. A few people in the group have already commented at the astonishment of friends and relatives that they are actually reading the Bible. Others like to use the Forward Day by Day devotionals found by the door of the church. Still others might read scripture as part of Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer in the prayer book. Regardless of how one approaches the Bible, the idea is that one seeks to move beyond the printed text to bring the Word of God to life in our lives.

Jesus came as the Word made flesh amongst us. He invites each of us to let the Word of God live in us, not just as text on a page written down long ago, but alive on our lips and in our actions. Let us not treat the Word as written alone, but said and living in our words and deeds. Amen.