What is this word?

Luke 4 : 31 - 37

......with authority and power he commands....

Such a privilege to receive the words of the One to whom we owe our lives. Every day, we are bombarded by words and more words, written and spoken (the newspapers are as thick as a book!) that we have to be discerning people - in terms of the source of such words, that can have much power in people's lives.

Jesus is the Word of God made flesh. So it is not surprising that he spoke the word of God with such authority that even demons obeyed. In fact the teachers of the Law had to support their statements, quoting from other authorities. When the prophets spoke, they claimed, "Thus says the Lord...." Jesus, on the other hand, was the living Word himself. In him, the very being of God was revealed. The demons recognized this immediately.

Humans often seem a bit 'slower' on the uptake! Jesus 'word' is acknowledged as having authority and power....but they still had to try to work out where this power was coming from.

Today, we have God's written revelation before us when we set out to get to know, love and follow Jesus Christ. It is much easier, or so it seems.

But I must say, it is easy to get trapped by taking things for granted. It may be good to ask "What is this word?" from time to time. Be amazed again, be drawn again to the One who caught our attention that many years ago. All relationships go stale when we think we know the other person through and through already, so what's new? We fail to realize what a privilege it is to relate to our Risen Lord, to hear his word anew in our context and to worship him in spirit and in truth.