The Living Word: Jamie Palmer
The following homily was shared at our Sunday Evening Eucharist Service 1/26/25.
Scripture Readings (Old Testament, Psalm, Gospel): https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012625.cfm
In each of our passages today, the Word of God is read to the people. Since the Bible itself is the Word of God, we see that the Word of God often references His past words. I know that personally, during prayer, most of the words I hear from God are His past words from scripture that come to me in a personal and intimate way. The truth is that all of us were brought to life by the words of God, and through His words we are sustained. Without His Word, we would not exist and nor could we keep on living. Thus, His past words remain relevant throughout time, though we often forget or do not see their relevance.
Every word that comes from God will be fulfilled. Jesus Himself is the Word of God made flesh. In the passage from Luke, Jesus tells the Nazarenes that they are witnessing the fulfillment of the scriptures He was given to read. Something that stood out to me was the word choice in this passage that seems to emphasize an expected religious habit. Jesus “went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day” and He was “handed” the scripture to read. However, the way Jesus interprets the current state of God’s word, which is living and present in their midst, is far from habitual.
When we hear the Word of God, how often are we aware that it is living and present? How can we believe such a thing to be true, when people have been gathering to hear the Word for thousands of years and nothing seems to change? People are still oppressed, held captive, blind, and poor today. Yet if I really pay attention to goodness in the world, I can see that even if the second coming has not happened yet and we have not yet witnessed a new heaven and earth, God is continuously redeeming and making all things new. The way we can sustain hope that the Word of God will not fail is by rejoicing in what He has already done. As it says in Nehemiah, “rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength.” I often struggle to avoid despair and embrace hope. But if I choose to rejoice in my salvation and the salvation of others as often as I can bring myself to do so, hope becomes possible.
Jesus is the Word made flesh. We must cling to Him for our hope and salvation, calling out to Him constantly and listening closely to all His words to us in prayer. And rejoice that God has spoken, for without His Word we would starve. As it is written, “man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Deuteronomy 8:3).
Amen.
Jamie is a senior at LA Tech and a third-year member of our Wesley Discipleship Team this school year! With her servant’s heart and kind nature, she has been a breath of fresh air ever since becoming a part of our community. She is an extremely talented pianist and enjoys writing, drawing, and spending time in nature, as well. We’re very blessed to know her!