May
14, 2017
“Receive the Word implanted in you which is able to save your souls (James 1:21)”
“Receive the Word implanted in you which is able to save your souls (James 1:21)”
If
you would look at all of human history to determine a thread that remains the
same, the one thing that consistently remains is the oral word. Whether told around the campfire, the hearth,
to entertain or keep warm or a park bench to pass the time, the kitchen table
with a meal or even today when families get together and remember the history
that has formed and shaped generations, the oral word is how we communicate. Recently the movie “Beauty and the Beast”
showed that at one time, only the rich or highly educated were able to own
books, but today with our phones, tablets, computers and the internet, everyone
is capable of reading on the go, in planes, trains or automobiles. Yet, when the first printing press was
invented, the world began to change. The
word that had been spoken and which we pass down even today shows not only
great value, but also the potential to either alienate or engage, and also the
opportunity to enrich or definitely enjoy.
This
morning here at Emmanuel, we have heard from a book of the bible that Martin
Luther was not the biggest cheerleader of, whether the doctrine or the
message. But Luther still believed it
should be a part of Holy Scripture. The
most iconic quote from the book of James is “Faith without works is dead” from
James 2:26. But James also has a meaning
and purpose that in our reading this morning reveals not only the power of the
Word of God, but its clear application for us today.
Last
week we not only watched and participated in the next faith step of Olivia as
she made public profession of her faith, the faith in which we baptize. We acknowledged and confessed alongside her
our firm conviction that the Word of God is not only powerful, but life
changing. James states and reaffirms this
truth clearly when he wrote, “Receive
the Word implanted in you which is able to save your souls”.
What
we receive in the Word of God is the most precious, powerful and profound thing
known in our universe. When we receive
the Word of God, we not only receive the book we know as the Holy Bible, we
receive the Word made Flesh and Who dwelt among us, none other than Jesus
Christ. Our culture would like to claim
Jesus as only a myth or as a prophet, but we receive more than a myth and more
than a prophet, we receive from the lectern, the pulpit and especially when we
read in our own homes the Word of God, we receive Jesus Christ, the Word. And when we bring children for Holy Baptism,
we confess and believe in His power. For
in our Baptism as James said it clearly, we “Receive the Word implanted in you which is able to save your souls”. This is not only the capability of the Word
of God, but the power that changes our individual and collective reality and
promises us eternal life out of God’s love for each and every one of us. And it begins with the oral word that we
hear, heed and if we dare to change it or its meaning or application will
deeply affect us and how we are seen and received and even our eternal
destination.
Today
we gather, as a church family honoring the Word of God, Jesus Christ, but we
also honor and remember how one individual impacts each of our lives, this
person is our Mothers. Mother’s come in
all shapes and sizes, have and provide us different ways of showing love and clearly
have differing skills, but what does not change is that one woman whether by
blood or by adoption, by circumstance or comfort, by impact or inspiration
added value to our lives by the word they spoke to each and every one of us.
In
1994, the now iconic movie, “Forrest Gump” changed our cultural understanding
of so many different ideals. It wasn’t
the typical ‘feel good’ movie, because it touched on issues like determination,
bullying, war, relationships and even the most profound, love. From the beginning of the movie sitting on a
park bench, Forrest tells the story of his life. One of the most tender moments in the movie
comes, when Forrest is given the greatest and most profound wisdom by his
Mother on her death bed. She says, “Life is a box of chocolates, Forrest, you
never know what you will get” and she continued, “I was destined to be your momma…and I did the best I could”. And her parting words reach out to us today
and resonate with what we have heard from James. “You
have to do the best with what God gave you”.
What
we need to take away from this iconic movie, this passage from James as the
message from God for us today is simply this.
God did not only the best He could, He, through His Son Jesus Christ
fulfilled for each and every one of us what we could not. Jesus Christ out of His love for us gives us
the gift of eternal life. And God in His
infinite wisdom places people like our mothers and those who are like mothers
in our lives to implant in us the Word of God.
For in our receiving the Word of God we receive the greatest gift known
to mankind, Jesus Christ. And in our
receiving Jesus Christ we receive not just an abundant life in Him, but we
receive eternal life in His Kingdom for all eternity out of His great love for
each and every one of us. May we daily
remember our Mothers as God’s gift to us and understand and be able to repeat
the truth, promise and testimony of Jesus Christ found of James that says, “Receive the Word implanted in you which is
able to save your souls”. AMEN.
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