One of the great joys of my life is getting to spend large blocks of time examining Holy Scripture.  Part of the weekly challenge of someone who is a Preacher or Teacher of God’s Word is to faithfully communicate the messages revealed in Scripture.  Surprisingly, this really isn’t too difficult to do if that is the extent of your quest within the Scriptures.  The much more difficult task is to discover the meaning of the message.

Perhaps you might assume that message and meaning are essentially the same thing or at least pretty close.  In some respects that is true but as any person who has committed to read most or all the Bible knows, much of it includes passages that are filled with symbols, parables, metaphors, similes, not to mention the passages where Jesus tells His audience they won’t be able to understand His meaning because their ears are closed and the hearts, hardened.

After having just concluded a series of sermons which looked closely at some parables Jesus used to illustrate how His followers should wait until He returns, I am very much aware of how teachers and theologians over the years have treated such passages.  As I prepare to launch into a sermon series that features the common phrase used by Jesus, “I Am…”, particularly in the Gospel written by John, the message is subject to interpretation.  The meaning of the message isn’t always grasped!

While this reality can create a bit of frustration as we daily pour over the Scripture in order to grow in our faith, I find it rather invigorating to think about.  Let me explain why.  Since the meaning can sometimes be obscured for a variety of reason:  my inattention, failure to pick up on subtle, contextual clues or even stubbornness of heart, the possibility exists that each day’s reading and meditating on God’s Word will unearth a never-before caught message.  It’s as if there is hidden treasure, ready to be discovered!  I also find it invigorating because as a preacher/teacher, I get to share some of the treasures my study and prayer have revealed.

I find it really incredible that day by day the possibility exists that a new, clearer picture of God will immerge, when the message’s meaning materializes.  I am mentioning this to you because like me, you might find yourself not always being motivated to daily open the Scriptures to read.  Perhaps you have concluded that there is nothing new to see, that it’s just the same old story.  Let me encourage you to rethink this.  While it is true that the message of God’s Word will never change, it is also true that God’s Word is active and able to penetrate into the inner most parts of we humans.  That means that the meaning of the message, though unchanging, will be understood differently as we study and especially open our hearts to the beauty and rich value of God’s truth.

Let me encourage you to reflect upon how you view Scripture.  I suspect, like me, you value it highly.  But valuing highly doesn’t always translate into hearing it properly.  Are you coming to it humbly as one might seek for treasure or as one who perhaps is reading mainly to check a daily task off our lists?

Week by week, I pray that God will open my sometimes-blind eyes and see His truth and prayerfully search for ways to make Scriptures’ meaning more relatable for all of us.  I look forward to experiencing that with you this Sunday!