Keeping the Word of God
On account of the influence of some contemporary trends in Christianity, which have moved away from understanding revelation as including Sacred Tradition, which have also moved from the encounter with God in Jesus at the celebration of the Eucharist, when some Christians hear the expression, “Word of God”, their immediate assumption is that ‘Word of God’ equals solely to the Bible.
When John 1:14 says, “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us,” is it that Bible became flesh? Or when Jesus says, as in the gospel of today, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (Jn 14:23), is he only talking about the word as it is captured in the Bible?
As you can see, when we associate “the Word of God” univocally with the Bible, it does raise questions. So what is indeed the Word of God? Let us reflect more deeply on the meaning of the Word! And then it will also make sense when we hear Jesus inviting us to keep his word.
‘Word’ (Logos) as the creative plan, desire, and power of God
In the creation narrative, the Book of Genesis says, “God said” and it was! What does this mean? He SAID! Was it a spoken word? Possibly not! Was it the written word that is in the Bible? Definitely not. Maybe it is only an analogical or anthropomorphic way of talking about God, using human images – when the Bible says, ‘He said’!
Can we say, God’s ‘saying’ here refers to the creative power of God – that brings to existence what He desires and plans! Logos that is in his mind is brought forth in His creation. Therefore, the logos of God is His thought, His plan, His desire that gives rise to all that is! Word of God is His will.
God is relational. He creates and cares for his creation out of his covenantal love. The desire of God or His will is also His love for the world and humanity. The logos, therefore, is also the love that leads us and draws us towards Him.
“The word of God came to me”
God also communicates through human agency. He communicates in a way that humans can understand and respond. He communicated to the patriarchs. The Lord God spoke to Moses (Ex 3:15, etc). He communicated through the prophets (Jer 1:4; Ez 1:3, and such).
When God speaks to human beings, He does not dictate. He communicates. He inspires through His Spirit. Humans grasp the message of God in their historical, cultural, and linguistic contexts. Some of these are captured in the scriptures. These words offer us a sure path to our deeper relationship with God (faith) and our meaningful relationship with the rest of humanity (morality).
“The Word became flesh…”
God spoke through the prophets, but God spoke to humanity in His Son (Heb 1:1-2) – the Word who became flesh. In Jesus, the love or the desire of God has been made visible.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
… And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:1-7, 14).
The Word that became flesh in Jesus also spoke. He spoke a human language. He preached – often in paradoxical and parabolic (symbolic) images. This is the word spoken by the Word that became flesh! Some of which are captured in the scriptures by human beings who experienced the Word and heard the word in their own historical, cultural, and linguistic contexts.
In these words, Jesus expressed his desire for love. That is his commandment. That is his will.
“Whoever loves me will keep my word…”
God continues to communicate in the heart of every person. Insofar as, we are created in the image of God, insofar as God moves us from within us towards Himself, and insofar as God renews in us the desire to know Him, to love Him, and to be with Him, even today, God’s word is in our heart. When we contemplate that word, and we respond to his desire, when we allow ourselves to be moved by His grace, we keep His word. We imitate Mary, who “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Lk 2:19; 2:51). When, we too keep and contemplate the experiences of our daily lives in our hearts, we begin to discern God’s will for us – his desire and his plan for us.
The written Word of God, as it is in the Bible, acts as a roadmap for us in our own discernment of His word within us – in terms of its clarity and purpose – for us to grow in our love for God and Humanity. Therefore, when we contemplate the Word of God in the scriptures, we also keep His Word.
When we keep contemplating on His word spoken to us in our hearts, and keep contemplating on His Word as captured in the Scriptures, our contemplation moves our daily choices. We keep His word in our action. We keep our baptismal promise!
In this way, God’s Word becomes flesh in our actions and dwells among us. “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (Jn 14:23).
For another sermon for 6th Sunday in Eastertide – Cycle C: CLICK HERE