Father Gary’s Sermon

Inspired from John 1:1-16

Proclaimed on December 26, 2004

Words have power. An example of this tremendous power can be noted in an event that took place not too long ago. A man was attending a football game. As with any good sports fan, he had his fill of the food available at the stadium. At one point he became nauseous, which progressed to a point where he became deathly ill. A doctor in the crowd was called to the man’s aid. He suspected that the cause of the man’s illness was food poisoning. Soon afterwards this suspicion was announced over the stadium loud speaker. Within moments people throughout the stadium began falling out with symptoms of retching and nausea. Ambulances were called in from everywhere available. Hospitals were filled to over-flowing. However, health officials could later find no problems with the food. The original man’s problem was not due to the food. On the other hand, the mass’s problems were more easily diagnosed: WORDS!

The importance of words is also noted in our Gospel reading today. The power of God is displayed in the “words” of God. When God speaks words do something. Words accomplish a purpose. John’s usage of the Divine word (known as the “Logos) harkens back to the story of creation. In the Genesis narrative we find the Spirit of God hovering like a dove over chaos. When God speaks creation occurs. When God speaks chaos is given order. Creation is a direct result of the spoken word.

This same understanding is continued in John’s Gospel. Here God’s Logos became flesh in the person of Jesus. Through Jesus God speaks! Through Jesus God re-creates! This re-creation occurs through healing. It occurs through the transformation of all things in Jesus’ presence. The world becomes new wherever Jesus is present. As far as John is concerned Jesus is the very word that created the heavens and the earth. Through Jesus we have God’s most direct expression of whom God is and what God wants to do. Furthermore, on this first Sunday after Christmas we find the Word coming as a vulnerable little baby that needs our nurturing, care, and protection!

The question now before us is how this relates to our lives. Soon we will be celebrating a new year. It is a time for resolutions and new beginnings. In choosing these changes, however, what standards are we using? After all, standards today are often considered relative. Take for instance the little boy who was asked how tall he was. He knew that his father was over six foot tall. Therefore, in order to answer the question he removed his small shoe and measured himself. To his surprise he was also over six foot tall! He figured that because his foot went into his shoe that this measurement was correct.

John’s Gospel, however, provides us with a different standard. This standard is hardly relative. Indeed, he views Jesus as being the absolute standard by which God measures us. Therefore, his life ought to become the standard by which we determine changes that need to be made in our lives.

In order to understand this Divine standard we must spend more time with the Word for it is very much like the infant Christ. We do this by regularly studying the Scriptures. This takes the Word within our hearts and minds. Here we must care for it. More than that, we must nurture that Word within ourselves. Indeed, we must we must even protect it. By doing this we will find new growth. We will find ourselves becoming more spiritually mature. With this maturity we will discover a new power within. It is a power that brings about a new creation within us. It is a power that can help us begin to measure up to the new standard of the Word called the Christ!

Yes, words are powerful. As at that football came mentioned earlier, words can literally make us ill, as bring about destruction. Or, as in Christ, through proper nurturing, care, and protection, words can make us new and bring us into the reality of life eternal. In Christ we have the very Word that created heaven and earth. This same word now in Christ can recreate and transform us. What a powerful resolution is available to each of us through Christ during this coming New Year.