Today’s scripture: Matthew 5:17-20 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Keith Phillips):
“’But what does it all mean?’ asked Susan when they were somewhat calmer. ‘It means,’ said Aslan, ‘that though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of Time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation.’”
C. S. Lewis may not have been referring to the Bible when writing this, but I think the contrast stands, between the Deep Magic of scripture and the deeper magic to which Jesus was pointing in this section of the Sermon on the Mount.
I love the Bible. It tells me about God’s character and mighty acts among God’s people; it tells me about God’s unconditional love; it tells me about living as God’s people in a chaotic world where even evil doers use the scripture to their own ends. But I need to know more than about God and God’s hopes for humanity. I need to know God.
Recently, Brent Walsh, a member of our church and a writer for Be Still and Know, asked his Facebook friends, “Is the Bible inerrant?” Dave Wene, another member of our church, responded,
“Only as inerrant as any of our stories are at attempting to explain a spiritual encounter. Not to mention our limited ability to fully experience the event, our limited understanding to interpret the event, our limited vocabulary to express the event, which is all seen through our own cultural and historical experience.”
Amen! Our Bible is too small to contain the glories of God throughout history and even in this moment. It is an indispensable, blessed means for us to be introduced to God, but it can never take the place of that continuous encounter which results in a growing spiritual relationship with God.
Like Jesus, I affirm the authority of scripture; and I also affirm the authority of the Higher Power, the deeper Mystery whom scripture only begins to reveal.
Thought for the day: Lord, help us to remember that the Bible merely points to you and to your hopes for us, and that it is woefully inadequate to contain the mysteries of who you are and of our relationship together. Amen.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.