There are things we are told that we believe we know, yet…
We sometimes think that because we have heard something said many times, we understand them, but…
This could apply to… the word of God.
Writing to the early Christians of Thessalonica, the apostle Paul tells them (1 Th.2:7-9,13):
“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.”
Could Paul say the same from us?
It is good to ask ourselves:
When picking up the Bible to read a text, are we aware, really aware, of “what it really is” as Paul says?
When we hear a passage from Scripture being read to us, are we convinced that it is indeed “the word of God”?
In fact, the word of God is often written with a capital letter: Word of God,
with the meaning that it is Jesus himself, the Son of God, speaking to us.
It is not simply a printed text, not only words from a book, but God addressing us personally.
Of course, the texts have been written by human beings –
but human beings who placed themselves under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, God’s own Spirit.
This changes the whole perspective – we are not considering texts, themes, or theories.
We are not reflecting about ideas, thoughts, or concepts…
We are meant to meet Someone addressing us directly!
And this Someone is God himself!
How different an experience this can be!…
Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/31e-dimanche-de-lannee-a-2023/
Source: Image: One Walk ǀ with Jesus
This is the message of today’s 1st reading (1 Samuel 16:1,6-7,10-13):