Living Out the Living Word

Posted by on January 8, 2006 under Sermons

Have you ever waited eagerly for a dramatization of a book you read?Maybe there’s talk about a movie or mini-series based on one of yourfavorite stories. (This May all the talk will be about the “DaVinciCode” which will be the dramatization of a best-selling novel. A bookthat claims to reveal the truth about Christ.)

Why are we so eager to see stories dramatized? Perhaps it is becausewe want to see them fleshed-out and made real? We want to experiencethe story with more of our senses. Even listening to a reading of theNew Testament with different voices and sound effects “rounds out” theexperience somewhat.

Drama is the embodiment of story. Since we are embodied creatures, wehave a desire to experience story and truth in more than just words.God knows that. That is why the Word became Flesh and dwelled amongus. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and theword was God. But the word did not remain disembodied or far away anduntouchable. The word became a man and lived among us. He attendedweddings and contributed to the celebration by helping out when therewas a need. He stayed up late and grew tired teaching those whowanted to know the truth. He walked great distances and even venturedacross the “wrong side of the tracks” to meet people where they livedand worked. And he got thirsty. But he spoke to people and they notonly heard the word – they saw the word and touched the word.

The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. And he became hungry. Heknew that the people starving for truth were also physically hungryand he bothered to provide them with food. He knew what it felt liketo be threatened and misunderstood, but he showed us what it meant tobe brave and resolved to stand up for the truth. The Word becameflesh and had hands – hands that wrote in the dirt when an angry mobbrought a sinful woman to him to be killed brutally. He must havefelt the tension when he risked his own safety for the sake ofeveryone. They heard the truth when he said, “Whoever is without sinlet him cast the first stone.” But you know, some fool very wellcould have lobbed a rock at him. The Word became flesh and livedamong us – and like us he knew pain.

Jesus did not just deliver a message. He was the message. He did notsimply speak truth. He was truth. He did the truth. On the nightthat he is betrayed, when he celebrates the Passover (an embodiedworship celebrated by God’s people for centuries), Jesus does thetruth. He serves. He shows the disciples what it means to be great.He shows them what it means to lead. He shows them what it means todo the truth. And he asks them, “Do you understand what I have done?” In other words, “Do you get it?”

Jesus goes on to teach his disciples many things. And thanks to thewitness of the apostles we have this teaching in the form ofScripture — God’s Word. What are we to do with that word? If weunderstand it, then what? In his teaching on the night of thePassover and betrayal, Jesus says, “If you love me, then keep mycommandments.” Notice that he doesn’t simply say “agree to mycommandments” or “defend my commandments” or “study my commandments.”He says “keep them.” He is calling us to embody the commandments. Hewants us to “dramatize” them – but not as if we are pretending or donot mean it. We “act them out” because we are acting on them. TheWord became flesh and dwelled among us. And so we as fleshlycreatures need to dwell in the Word.

To keep the commandments, we must know them. To do them, we mustdwell in them. This is why we need to become familiar with theteaching of our Lord and the Bible. This is why we need to read itand hear it every day – privately, with others, and let it become ourlanguage. Jesus gave us an example – to do the truth. To embody thetruth.

Baptism is an embodied act of faith. We don’t simply love God withour mind, or heart – but with our whole self. If you have beenbaptized, then your life has been submerged into the life of the Wordmade Flesh. He also was baptized to please the Father. If you havebeen baptized then you are made new to live out that Christ-life. Asthe apostle Paul says it, “I have been crucified with Christ, but Istill live. But it is not I that lives, but now Christ lives in me.”The Word is still flesh living among us.

If you haven’t been baptized you can be. God welcomes all who believeand repent and want to live an abundant life in Christ.