The word of God is living and effective

“The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart” (Heb 4:12)

A truth without adding that God looks at us mercifully and that His word is given to us for our salvation could lead us into paralyzing fear. God is not simply an omniscient Judge, and His word is not the norm set before us, but He Himself comes to us as a doctor, as the Lord Jesus says directly in today's Gospel, and His word has the power to heal. The combination of these two truths, or rather the discovery of the truth about the penetration of God's word into our hearts, in the light of our understanding of His plan to bring us to the fullness of life in Him, is an essential discovery necessary for the development of true spiritual life.

If we look at God's deep penetration into our hearts, fearing His judgment, we remain frightened and try our best to appear before Him. However, we are not able to do everything ourselves, hence the uncertainty and often desperate defense of ourselves. The discovery that this word that pierces the heart is his gift to us to awaken life in us becomes a source of new hope. The sentence " The word of God is living and effective " means that it is the word that gives life, if we accept it as such. It gives the power to transform life, but only if we allow it into the heart and allow it to work. Accepted as an external norm, it has no such power in our lives.

In the Gospel, Levi, the tax collector experienced this living word. He heard the word of Jesus with his heart and was therefore completely transformed. The scribes, who were indignant at the feasting of the Lord Jesus with the publicans, still did not allow this word to work so strongly in them. They did not allow the word of God to " to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart." Their hardness would then become the main reason for not understanding and rejecting Jesus.

These truths apply to all of us. Depending on whether we allow God's word to enter our heart and judge it, or whether we keep it from within, maintaining that "we are healthy and do not need a doctor”, it will give us health and life, or we will remain dead inside. God does not impose Himself with His grace. It is given to those who desire it.

One more thought: “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

One of the basic characteristics of Jesus is that he does not divide people into bad and good. He teaches us that we will never be good if we don't give up dividing people into these two categories. The inner transformation that we all need must begin by stopping such dividing of people. As long as we divide people into good and bad, we are incapable of love. For love does not know these two categories of people. Love always wants to help and "feels better" when can help someone - then love is "at home". And no one needs help as much as someone who is lost and because of that behaves strangely, that is, badly. There are no good and bad people. There are only people: some sick (of sin) and some healthy.

Until Tomorrow

fr. george