MUSINGS FROM SACRED SCRIPTURE
He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock.
Luke 6:48
Our Solid Foundation Is The Rock of Holy Scripture; The Word. Divine Speech.
Jesus reveals his direct identification with the Word of God; a captivating theme echoed
constantly throughout the apostolic witness as to his Person and accomplishments. When Jesus speaks, or enunciates a statement, God speaks. He is the Word incarnate and the exact expression of the divine mind. All verbal authority is his. He is truth in speech and in character. None can gainsay his fidelity to the Father [but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son. Hebrews 1:23]. Jesus is Eternal Truth and his word is indestructible. In the gospel announcements the Lord’s intent is to avoid our destruction. We humans build our lives on instruction which may be good or bad. To protect our lives we need to ensure that the advice we follow is absolutely sure.
Jesus identifies the danger of superficial religion and its glib confession. Sinful oaths insulting the divine glory are manifestly evil, but easy going Christianity that references the name of Christ with a thoughtless and casual attitude, much repeated in an offhand manner, can be offensive to God as outright blasphemy. “Lord, Lord” say many without a hint of reverence and humility (but maybe pomposity). We need to check our use of the language of Zion. It is not there for our convenience but for the right conduct of our tongue. It is an expression of homage.
In the tale of the builders every sane and sensible life should be constructed on the firm foundation of God’s sure Word. Every other basis for principle and practice is shifting sand. We are encouraged to dig down deep into the self-revelation of our three-person-ed God. Scripture is not a billboard to notice hastily on our rush through life. It summons us to repeated reading; slow digestion of the bread of life; leisured gazing into the text waiting for its message to overwhelm our mind and understanding, marking slowly the message and its hallowed interpretation supplied by the Holy Spirit.
To know Scripture is to know that we don’t know scripture. Its profundity, loftiness and breadth is overwhelming; its dimensions unbounded. The wisdom of God exhausts our most avid exploration. Its power and hold over us can bring us rebuke that fosters repentance: Its intimations of the grace of God amaze us with Eternal Hope. “To the Word and to the Testimony!”
William Tyndale avers: “The Scripture is that wherewith God draweth us unto him. The Scriptures sprang out of God, and flow unto Christ, and were given to lead us to Christ. Thou must therefore go along by the Scripture as by a line, until thou come at Christ, which is the way’s end and resting-place.”
The collect for the Second Sunday in Advent: Blessed Lord, who hast caused holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we might in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen
RJS
He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock.
Luke 6:48
Our Solid Foundation Is The Rock of Holy Scripture; The Word. Divine Speech.
Jesus reveals his direct identification with the Word of God; a captivating theme echoed
constantly throughout the apostolic witness as to his Person and accomplishments. When Jesus speaks, or enunciates a statement, God speaks. He is the Word incarnate and the exact expression of the divine mind. All verbal authority is his. He is truth in speech and in character. None can gainsay his fidelity to the Father [but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son. Hebrews 1:23]. Jesus is Eternal Truth and his word is indestructible. In the gospel announcements the Lord’s intent is to avoid our destruction. We humans build our lives on instruction which may be good or bad. To protect our lives we need to ensure that the advice we follow is absolutely sure.
Jesus identifies the danger of superficial religion and its glib confession. Sinful oaths insulting the divine glory are manifestly evil, but easy going Christianity that references the name of Christ with a thoughtless and casual attitude, much repeated in an offhand manner, can be offensive to God as outright blasphemy. “Lord, Lord” say many without a hint of reverence and humility (but maybe pomposity). We need to check our use of the language of Zion. It is not there for our convenience but for the right conduct of our tongue. It is an expression of homage.
In the tale of the builders every sane and sensible life should be constructed on the firm foundation of God’s sure Word. Every other basis for principle and practice is shifting sand. We are encouraged to dig down deep into the self-revelation of our three-person-ed God. Scripture is not a billboard to notice hastily on our rush through life. It summons us to repeated reading; slow digestion of the bread of life; leisured gazing into the text waiting for its message to overwhelm our mind and understanding, marking slowly the message and its hallowed interpretation supplied by the Holy Spirit.
To know Scripture is to know that we don’t know scripture. Its profundity, loftiness and breadth is overwhelming; its dimensions unbounded. The wisdom of God exhausts our most avid exploration. Its power and hold over us can bring us rebuke that fosters repentance: Its intimations of the grace of God amaze us with Eternal Hope. “To the Word and to the Testimony!”
William Tyndale avers: “The Scripture is that wherewith God draweth us unto him. The Scriptures sprang out of God, and flow unto Christ, and were given to lead us to Christ. Thou must therefore go along by the Scripture as by a line, until thou come at Christ, which is the way’s end and resting-place.”
The collect for the Second Sunday in Advent: Blessed Lord, who hast caused holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we might in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen
RJS
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