12 March 2016 - safe word

[ Today's Readings ]

The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this man.”

Jesus, no one speaks like you. Help us to receive you word.

And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers (see First Thessalonians 2:13).

Jesus you word is at work in those who believe. Help us to hear you and find out what you are doing. Give usears to hear. Don't let us by like the Pharisees who only feel threatened by you word. It is true that you word is dangerous. But it is only dangerous to our pride.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (see Hebrews 4:12).

In fact, only in your word can we be truly safe from deceit. The Pharisees fear deceit from without. But we just as effectively deceive ourselves and let ourselves be deceived. Your word gives us "unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God" which lets us "no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes" (see Ephesians 4:13-14).

Only in you is found safety, LORD. In you alone do we take refuge, lest we become like the lion's prey, to torn to pieces, with no one to rescue me. We don't need to fear even when men plot against us. Even if the whole world is against us it doesn't matter as long as you are with us.

But, you, O LORD of hosts, O just Judge,
searcher of mind and heart,
Let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause!

You may well allow your word to cut us to the heart

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (see Acts 2:37).

But you chastise us so that we can be healed.

For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives (see Hebrews 12:6).

From all real danger, danger to our souls, you are a shield who saves us.

A shield before me is God,
who saves the upright of heart;

In order to truly make the you are shield and to fully experience the benefit of your words we must not only hear or read them but speak them.

 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love (see Ephesians 4:15-16)