More Words

From Guest Author Josiah Tilton

Shhh. We need it quiet. Look around. Make sure we are in a safe place. I have a word to share, a short phrase actually. I want to say it. I think we all know it, but for some reason we don’t often say it out loud. It’s too dangerous, even offensive. Offensive? Yes. Perhaps more to us than to someone unfamiliar with the phrase. That seems strange to me but it’s true none-the-less.

Words. We have words, many words, but we keep them safely secured away from the hearing of others, hidden in a lock box only we have the key to. We don’t want someone to hear and accuse.

But what about that phrase? I want to share it with you, but I’m not sure. Perhaps, mmm, yes, perhaps it’s fear. One thing I know is that words are powerful. They can change people. They can cause anger, resentment, ridicule and a whole host of other unpleasant things, even physical things. Then again, words can cause joy to break out, peace, harmony, even, yes, even love. Words have the ability to excite, encourage, lift up those who are crestfallen.

There’s a word, crestfallen. When was the last time you heard that word? We have words for it or similar to it, but we don’t say “crestfallen” much anymore. What other words are no longer a regular part of our vocabulary? Words we know but we don’t use them any longer.

Here’s a list of words, names actually. The Apostle Matthew writes them at the beginning of his letter about the gospel of Jesus the Christ. He begins with Abraham. Abraham is the father of Isaac, Isaac is the father of Jacob, and so on. His list of names ends with Jesus. Jesus, what a glorious name to end with. Luke, the Gentile physician, on the other hand, begins with Jesus and ends his list, genealogy, with Adam, who is called the son of God.

This is interesting. What are these two men, Matthew and Luke, saying to us? Could it be that Jesus is the beginning and the end? The first and the last? The Alpha and the Omega? Really, what is He? We are told that He is the first born from the dead, whatever that means. The Hebrew writer tells us He is the express image of God. “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen my Father,” Jesus said. The Revelation tells us He is a lamb that was beaten to a pulp and carries with Him all the marks of death…yet He is alive. John is given a truth that only Jesus is worthy to tear off the seals and reveal what it is that God has to say. So, Jesus is pretty special, don’t you think? He’s really something!

There’s a story in the book of Luke, chapter 8:22 – 25…

22 One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, 23 and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. 24 And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”

 Picture it in your mind. Can you see it? They are in a boat, a fishing boat. They are fishermen and know about the lake and it’s moods. A storm comes raging. They’ve been in storms before, but this one had them worried. The boat was filling with water. Look at them in your mind. They try to bale, but they can’t keep up. The howling of the wind and the wildness of the waves fills them with fear. They know they are in danger of sinking. They look toward the Master. Can you imagine this? They look and He’s in the back of the boat fast asleep.

I wish I could have the freedom of mind that would allow me to sleep peacefully, even in the midst of a storm. But my mind is too filled with contradictions. Was it Kenny Rogers who sang, And if only I could find my way back to the time
When the problems of this life
Had not yet crossed my mind
And all the answers could be found in children's nursery rhymes

If only…

Jesus was sleeping! They quickly woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”

“Why are you so fearful?” He asked them. And then He speaks the word – remember I spoke about how powerful words were. He spoke a rebuke to the wind and the raging waves, and they stopped. Calm surrounded them. Peace should have been theirs, as they sighed away their fears, but no. The danger was over, right? Maybe, but they were even more afraid. Look at them. Imagine you are there with them. “Who is this that He commands even the wind and the water, and they obey Him?”

Words. Powerful words. He speaks and the words do mighty things.

We know words and you’ve been waiting for the words, the phrase I spoke of at the beginning. So, what is it. It’s something that was said from deep physical pain, but more than that, it was a deep heart wrenching pain that spoke, probably just a whisper. It was said when life seemed hopeless to so many. A rabble was jeering, but those closest to the speaker watched bitterly as their hope drained from their minds and hearts. Faith ebbed and belief was coming to a sad conclusion.

The words whispered, not to the onlookers, but with head, weakly looking heavenward, the words came. With them said, a small glimmer of hope began to rise in the watchers. Words. They heard the words. Glorious hope-giving words.

“Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.”

-Josiah Tilton