In my view, there are many devastating implications of this view. In particular life is meaningless, love, beauty and joy are all illusionary, and mankind has no destiny other than the grave! Into the darkness and the bankruptcy of this World view Jesus, from this verse from Matthew 4:4, speaks Words of life. There are two thoughts that I want to draw out of this, this morning.
The first cones out of the first phrase “Man does not live by bread alone.” Jesus is not here saying, that our dietary requirements need to include more than bread, the staple of the Middle East. He is saying that in order to live, really live as opposed to simply existing, there is another food of which we need to partake. Using the same word for life as in this quotation, Jesus in John 10:10b says that He came in order that we might have fullness of life.
Attaching the word “fullness,” to the word “life” in this context, has the implication that we can have a form of life, that can be described as anything other than full. The saying “Most men live lives of quiet desperation,” comes to mind. So the question comes to you and me, are we living life to the full? I’m not saying that I have arrived, but I can say that there are a number of significant stages in my life, turning points if you like, that moved me out of death into a fuller life in the here and now. Part of what I’m saying is that this is a process, and that the secret is found in the second phrase and in the second thing that I want to say this morning.
The second phrase then “but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God,” comes with the implication that if we want to truly live, then we need to feed on His Word. I want to say that there are two words in the Greek that are translated “Word” in our English texts. The first “Logos,” reflects the ideas of Greek philosophy where it is said to refer to “the rational argument.” So when Logos is used, in the Scripture, it often points us to reason. In particular, the logical response to the the Logos of God is obedience (see for example Matthew 7:24).
The second word translated “Word,” is the Greek word Rhema, and while this word includes the idea of Logos, there is more to it than that. Jesus explains this in John 16:63, where he says “The Rhemata (plural of Rhema) that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. In other words there is a living aspect to the Rhema words.
Most Christians, and those moving towards becoming Christians, have likely experienced a verse in the Scriptures coming alive. We can read a passage over and over, but suddenly the verse or the passage stands out to us. So what’s happened here, is that the Lagos word became a Rhema word. Recently in the fellowship when we were discussing how to move from anxiety to peace, one person told us that he reads the Scriptures until something stands out to him that speaks to his situation. So this really is him seeking a and receiving a Rhema word from among the Logos words.
But there is another aspect of a Rhema word, and we see an example of this in Mary’s response to the angel telling her she will give birth to Jesus. Her response was “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your Rhama.” That is a Rhema word can be a word, not found in the Bible, not of course inconsistent with the Bible, but rather a personal Word to us and for us. Jesus tells us that His sheep know His voice (John 10:27). Now more often than not He speaks to us through the Scriptures as above, but as with Mary, He can also give us a Rhema word that speaks to a specific situation. For example a Rhama word can come to us if we are wondering if we should take a job or not!
And I experienced both of these aspects of the Rhema word this morning. In writing these posts I have been asking the Lord each morning to give me something to share that is relevant to my life. This morning I had been anxious about a number of different things, and out of the blue, as it were, I received the Word at the head of this post. It was a Rhema word for me. Yes it’s all God’s Word, and it is a Lagos word, but the Lord also illuminated it so it was also a Rhema word. With this Word, He was also reminding me of some premises that He has made to me, and He was telling me to feed on them, and in particular to trust Him. And because He knows my frame, He knows that I am but dust, He also reminded me of a confirmation that He gave me, that enabled me earlier to try a door. And part of the Rhema word was another Lagos word that had become Rhema word. That is He illuminated the Scripture “I open and no one can shut, and I shut and no one can open” (Revelation 3:7).
Father, truly Your Words are spirit and they are life. Thank You that over and over You bring comfort, strength and wisdom as I come to You morning by morning through Your Rhema Words which re truly the bread of life. Thank You, thank You, thank You. In Jesus Name Amen
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