9TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

The word of God is not chained

As Paul sat in chains, he could have focused on how hopeless his situation seemed.   But instead, he held on to hope—not the hope of being released, but hope in the power of the word of God.   He trusted that even though he was in prison, the word of God could never be imprisoned.

What was the word of God for Paul?   The message that Jesus Christ has been “raised from the dead.”   “Such is my Gospel,” he says (2 Timothy 2:8).

Paul believed that this gospel message had practical implications for his life and for the lives of everyone else.   That’s why he was determined to preach that gospel, even in prison.   It was the mission that God had given to him, and he would carry it out until his last breath.

Paul trusted that even if he never got out of prison, the message of the gospel would still go forth because it is a living message.   He believed that this message wouldn’t die with him.   Truths like these gave him great hope, along with the freedom to keep preaching the word of God.

A word of caution: the message of the gospel may be powerful, but it’s a power that we need to take hold of.   It won’t just come upon us on its own.   When you hold fast to the truth of Jesus’ resurrection and all that his resurrection promises, you become more secure in him and his love, not in your circumstances.   Suffering, anxiety, guilt over past sins, fear for the future—none of these have the final word.   Jesus has the final word, and it is a word of freedom from sin and the promise of eternal life for all who believe.

So lean on the Lord and trust in his gospel.   Believe that this “word of God” can flow from you just as it did from Paul (2 Timothy 2:9).   Even when you are not openly sharing your faith, the word can still go out through the witness of your life.   Whatever might be “chaining” you—even if it is a real prison—you can trust the word of God will not be chained.   That word is alive in you, and it has the power to change lives.

“Yes, Lord, may the word of God go forth from me.”

Psalm 25:4-5, 8-10, 14
Mark 12:28-34