Jesus Blessed With Grace And Truth

What Did Jesus Do?

And the Word became flesh, and we have seen his glory, full of grace and truth.
John 1.14


We have noted that words can be hurtful and devastatingly destructive (See WDJD for 12/21/10). It would be hard to calculate how much harm has been done by even careless and thoughtful words, to say nothing of hateful and mean-spirited speech. My wife's grandmother, who used to teach us in Sunday School when we were kids, would tell us, “If you are going to say something bad, bite your tongue first!” Sad to say, I have often ignored her sage advice (Of course, had I heeded it I probably would have chewed my tongue to bits years ago).

Given the abysmal level to which we have sunk as a culture, and the incivility of most conversation these days, I believe emergency rooms would be overflowing with patients with bleeding tongues if everyone were to follow Granny Woodruff's counsel. What pours forth from many mouths today is an all but constant stream of foul, nasty, and wicked words that could blister paint off a battleship.

The Father well understood long ago the awful tendency of humans to assault, insult, murder, and wage war with words. The Father also knew the matchless power of words, specifically the Word, to heal, mend, give life, and establish perfect peace. In answer to the wicked words of the world, the Father made the Word become flesh; and so the Son was born, and dwelt among us, full of irresistible grace and incontrovertible truth. If we could somehow get past the glitz and glitter of the secular, and sadly much of the religious, celebration of Christmas, we might get back to what the day is all about—the birth of the Savior in the person of the Word made flesh.

When we are talking the Word made flesh, words can become powerfully restorative and transformational. When we are talking the Word made flesh, words can become truly liberating and enlightening. When we are talking the Word made flesh, words can become illuminating and life-giving. When we are talking the Word made flesh, words can become redeeming and forgiving. When we are talking the Word made flesh, words can become help-full and hope-filled. When we are talking the Word made flesh, the constructs of grace and truth become incarnate and eternally material.

If all human speech would be seasoned by the grace and truth of the Word made flesh, the world would quickly become a radically different place that it is today. In fact, the Father announced the commencement of the re-creation of the world when he commanded his angel to proclaim what Louis Giglio calls “The Twelve Words of Christmas,”

“A Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2.11

Just imagine what conversations would be like if their content was to be informed by these twelve words. For that matter, why don't we try memorizing and meditating on “The Twelve Words of Christmas” every morning, and pray and ask the Father that the Son, the Word made flesh, might fill our speech? How might the conversations in our homes be changed? What might be the impact in our schools? Could workplaces become something different, something more, than places to go and earn a living?

Jesus, the Word made flesh, blessed with grace and truth; should we not likewise bless by taking the Word upon our lips and proclaiming it to all, every where, every day?

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4