December 30, 2018 Text: Colossians 3:16a
Dear Friends in Christ,
John Huffman tells the classic story of the man who would only feed on God’s Word when he needed an answer to a problem. The man found himself in a difficult situation, and in desperation he turns to the Bible for help. He let the book flop open and laid his finger on a verse, which said that Judas “went and hanged himself.” After a moment’s thought, he decided to turn to a different verse for help; he repeated the process and read, “What thou doest, do quickly.”
Would we say for that man the Word of Christ was dwelling in him richly? No, of course not, for him it was all about convenience. It is there if I need it.
Do you ever see the Word of Christ in that vein? It is there when I need it. We have so little understanding of God’s Word because we do not give it the serious attention and study that is needed. Let’s examine this morning . . .
“WHAT IS DWELLING IN YOU?”
In Lutheran circles one of our weaknesses in the study of what the Bible has for us is Confirmation. Both in Junior and Adult Confirmation we have an intensive study of God’s Word. We are looking up verses and taking quizzes and doing homework that the Word of Christ can dwell in us richly. But then we get that certificate and we treat it like a diploma and . . . you know the sad history.
Do you need help against the devil, the world, your sinful mind? Do you want to be more kind and compassionate and forgiving and peaceful? Then let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. Ponder it, study it, practice it. We need our daily spiritual bread to withstand the attacks of the devil, the world, and our sinful mind.
Our Lutheran Confessions state, “Certainly you will not release a stronger incense or other repellant against the devil than to be engaged by God’s commandments and words, and speak, sing, or think them.”
In the 1880’s French artist Georges Seurat introduced an art form known as pointillism. As the name suggests, Seurat used small dots of color, rather than brush strokes of blended pigments, to create an artistic image. Up close, his work looks like groupings of individual dots. Yet as the observer steps back, the human eye blends the dots into brightly colored portraits or landscapes.
The big picture of the Bible is similar. Up close, the complexity can leave us with the impression of dots on a canvas. As we read it and study it the picture becomes clearer. When we connect the dots of Scripture and Jesus’ suffering, we see a God who loves us more than we can imagine.
Let this Word of Christ inhabit you as if you were the house and home of this Word, let it do this in a rich way by filling every nook and corner of your being with its blessed, spiritual wisdom. Wisdom is the ability to use knowledge in the right and wise way. This Word of Christ is supreme and not the philosophy of empty deceit.
It is the work of the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us to study the Word of God. Perhaps you join a Bible Class in the New Year. Maybe your devotional life will not take a back seat to your other pursuits. I encourage you to find a portion of Scripture that interests you. I really like Proverbs. Solomon’s wisdom is always contemporary. Study the Book of Romans and see what led Martin Luther down the path of the Reformation. Read Philemon and understand Christian love.
When you better understand this Word – Christ in the flesh – you will know what Simeon knew in our Gospel. He was able to depart in peace according to the word for his eyes have seen your salvation.
Is that what you see this morning? Is this what is dwelling in you? I pray that it is. Jesus Christ and His Word dwelling in you richly. Feels pretty good, doesn’t it?
Amen.