Scripture Reflections

Receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21)

In his sermon on Sunday, Michael reminded us of the word God spoke at creation. God spoke, and light appeared, water and land separated, plants grew, animals sprang forth. (Every parent wishes that he or she only had to speak for toys to return to their bins and children to be at peace!) But now by his word of truth—by the Word of God, Jesus Christ himself—God has “brought us forth…that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures” (James 1:18). We were created by his word, and have now been redeemed his Word, and so James calls us to receive his word, implanted deep in our souls, which will bring about salvation in our lives.

This is the power of God’s word. If it sinks deep in us, it doesn’t remain alone. Like a seed, a grain of wheat buried in the earth, it begins to grow and bear fruit, and we end up transformed, healed, and saved. As Isaiah 55 reminds us, God’s word never returns empty, without causing the effect for which it was sent. The command is thus simple: receive with humility God’s word—let it be planted deep in your heart—and it will bring your soul health, safety, and salvation.

Many of us know this and can testify to it! We can point to moments in our life when the word of God pierced us deeply, bringing healing, peace, and forgiveness. We can point to moments when the word of God freed our hearts from overwhelming shame, burdens, and captivity. The word of God is powerful, and many of us can testify to this!

Yet the call to receive it is not easy. We want to, we acknowledge we should, yet who has time to stop and linger over the word till it is implanted in the depths of our heart? Who can even hear the word above the din and distractions of ordinary life? Who is still awake enough when all the day’s duties are done to listen to the word?

As I listened to James on Sunday, I felt a sense of identification with the nameless deaf man we encountered in our Gospel reading (Mk. 7:31-37). My ears are stopped to the word of God—stopped by the noisy and busy world, stopped by my own sinful inclinations, stopped by cell phones and the news, stopped by “I just need to get this one more thing done”—and I need Jesus to put his fingers in my ears and say, “Be opened!” I need him to open my ears, so that I can hear the word of God yet again, so that I can receive it and allow it to be planted deep within.

Let us pray that the Lord Jesus would open our ears so that we would hear and receive the implanted word, which is able to save our souls!

Steven+