Podcast: 

homily20100214.mp3

4 Minutes Audio: 

4minute20100214.mp3

In our modern world, we have so many words that come to us; 
we have words that come in volumes of books 
that take up libraries and bookstores; 
newsstands are full of magazines and newspapers 
for every particular type of interest you have ever imagined.
And the words keep flowing.  
We have them in our air waves, 
through the radio stations and through the music they play
and the words roll from musicians to artists 
in all sorts of different genres in different ways.

We have words that come to us on television, 
in so many channels from over satellite and over cable, 
more than you could ever, ever imagine. 
We have words that come to us via the computer and the internet; 
more access to more words than ever in the history of humanity.  
Now we even have texting, 
words breaking into the middle of conversations. 
Words just keep coming at us.  
In an abundance of so many words, 
there seems to be a scarcity of meaning in the words.  
With so much coming at us, there seems to be so little behind it.  
There is a danger that with so many words, 
we have lost the true art of communication. 

In ancient times, words were much more scarce.  
There were not as many people who knew how to read.  
There were certainly no airways or 
tele-broadcasting in any sort of approach.  
So those who used words used them with great caution.  
In biblical times, especially in the Old Testament times, 
they understood that words gave life to 
whatever it is that you were saying 
and that when those words were spoken, 
they gave life to whatever it is that was spoken. 

In today scripture readings the Prophet Jeremiah 
warned the people of Israel to not turn away from God. 
Then he gives a blessing to those who listen to God 
and a curse upon those who did not.  
It is hard for us to understand how profound 
these words would have been to hear, 
but they would have been heard very harshly
The colorful image Jeremiah uses today 
is that those who listen to God’s words and do what God commands 
are like a tree planted beside a river, 
that even in a year of drought, it still remains green.  
Its roots go deep down into the soil. 

Jesus, in today’s gospel and the sermon on the plain, 
not the Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount, 
this is Luke’s Sermon on the Plain 
where he gives his blessing and his woe to his listeners.  
Again, it is hard for us to understand 
how those words would have been to heard
Blessing on those who were poor and 
the curse, or woe or a warning to those who were rich
—it was not that the money was a curse 
but those who were rich and did not do with it as God wanted.  
It was what we are and who we are 
when we have these things that is what matters to Christ.  
In other words, are we listening to God? 

The question we have to ask ourselves is 
What words do you and I use?  
What is the general genre of our narrative of words 
from one week to the next?  
Consider for a moment, 
if we were to write down in a single paragraph,
every word we communicate this last week 
whether in words verbally or in written words, to your spouse?  
First of all how long would that paragraph be?  
What would be the general trend of that communication say?  
What words do we use?  
What would the paragraph look like to our children?  
What would the paragraph look like to our parents?
What is the general theme of all the words that we use
—go back and look at them and take them and say, 
“Am I giving blessings or am I giving a curse?”  
“Am I inspiring and encouraging with my words 
or am I discouraging and uninspiring with the words we choose?”

In other words, the words we use do have an impact.  
Who among us has not received one of those nasty e-mails 
somewhere in the line of our business or in our personal life?  
Somebody jotted down a response to an e-mail 
that ended up being nasty.  
How many of us have actually done that very thing?  
That we responded back to a text or an e-mail 
in maybe less than an appropriate way.  
Regretfully, I know I have!
Later when we think harder about it, 
“Oh, I could have found a better way to say it.”  
But in the heat of the moment, the e-mail is gone 
and it cannot be taken back. 
We do the same in our conversations.  
We do the same in the way we interact.  
There are so many words being used for so much,
we have lost the true art of communication. 

So this week, as we ponder the words of scripture, 
we are called to root ourselves 
according to the scripture today, 
to root ourselves in God’s words.  
If we root ourselves in God’s words
then the source of our faith will be that of goodness, 
it will be that of inspiring words, 
and encouraging words, 
words of forgiveness, 
words of kindness.
But if we do not root ourselves in God’s word
then our words will be of discouragement, 
words of arrogance, 
words of pride, 
words of unforgiveness, 
words that do not bring us closer to God.

These two children who are being welcomed 
in to the church today through baptism
—we promise not only that their families 
will lead them to God 
but that you and I will be examples 
of how we lead people to God.  
I suggest our words can do that.  
Our words can inspire and encourage 
and lead other people to God 
but we must be rooted in the words of God.  
We must be willing to reflect on the word of God 
and be willing to go back and to look at the words 
we use every week and ask ourselves:  
“Was that the best choice of words?  
Or do I now need to say other words of apology, 
words of forgiveness, 
words that will be healing?”

This week, the challenge that the Lord sets before us 
is that we become people of the word of God, 
rich in wisdom, forgiveness and mercy; 
that we choose to use those words 
to inspire others and to lead others to Christ, 
most especially our spouse, our children, our parents, our friends 
and most of all to that stranger who we will meet on the street; 
our words do make a difference.  
They need to be rooted in the word of God.