mad at the mailman
"This man does not deserve death; it is in the name of the Lord, our God, that he speaks to us." —Jeremiah 26:16
Unless you're very holy, some of the things written in this book should bother you. They bother me, and I wrote much of it! God's word is a two-edged sword (Heb 4:12), which comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable. When God's word and our wills cross, we are tempted to blame the teacher, preacher, pastor, or prophet. We blame the mail-carrier for the mail.
The Israelites did this to Jeremiah, who insisted that the people's contention wasn't with him but with the Lord Who had sent him (Jer 26:15). The religious authorities of Jesus' day confused the messengers with the message and put the apostles in prison. However, "there is no chaining the word of God!" (2 Tm 2:9) Likewise, Herod and Herodias tried in vain to silence the word by beheading John the Baptizer (Mt 14:10).
When we're tempted to reject the messengers of God's messages, we should take the advice of Gamaliel: "You will not be able to destroy them without fighting God Himself" (Acts 5:39).
Prayer: Father, may I listen to Your word more than to the world.
Promise: "For the Lord hears the poor, and His own who are in bonds He spurns not." —Ps 69:34
Praise: The church of St. Mary Major was dedicated to honor Mary, Mother of God, who was the vessel for the Word Who would not be chained. Praise God for giving us the "Mother of the Word Incarnate"!
Reference: (Be a messenger of God's word. Be a Bible Teacher. For encouragement, order our tapes on the Bible Teachers Series. Our six-tape audio series starts with AV 117-1. Our three-part video series starts with V-117.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 26, 2006
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