When he was studying abroad in France, his young cousin wrote this in a letter: “Brother, in France, you can only eat bread. How can you live without eating rice?” His younger cousin must have thought he would die if he didn’t eat rice. Of course, you can live by eating bread, but I had no choice but to admit that you can’t live by bread alone. Koreans must eat rice, kimchi, and soybean paste stew to live. You have to speak Korean and socialize with Korean people to survive.
Most people think that faith is boring. They think that it's belief in unrealistic and absurd stories. However, if faith were a story about eating and living, it would be different. There is nothing more realistic than a story about eating and living. This raises the question: What do people eat and live?
“Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) These are the words Jesus spoke to the devil’s temptation.
Let’s start with our experience with words. How many words have we exchanged today? What words came out of our mouths, and what came into our ears? Some words sound like words, and some words don’t sound like words. The power of words is truly enormous. Words save us, and words also kill us.
A Korean proverb tells us we can repay a debt of a thousand nyang (old currency) with words and take on a debt that can never be repaid with words. How much have we been hurt by words, and how much have we hurt others with words?
However, to be words, they must respect the other person. Just as conversations begin with greetings, conversations become possible when the other person responds to the greetings we give. Our words can be answered or rejected. That is the fate of words. Words must also contain the truth without the intention of deceiving or hiding. True conversation is possible when there is trust in the other person, the conviction that sincerity is communicated, a desire for fellowship, respect, and trust for each other, and the belief that the other person will not deceive me.
People live by words. When someone speaks to me, there is a gaze toward me and a heart of trust. That someone is interested in me and wants to talk to me and come into my life. We become strong and comfortable with each other through conversations with people who truly share our feelings. Words filled with love, sincerity, and trust, words that give courage to save me, revive me, and change my destiny.
The sick man at the pool of Bethesda, who had been suffering from a 'lack of hope' for 38 years, was restored to his feet by the words of Jesus. “Do you want to be healed?” (John 5:6) “Get up, take up your mat and walk.” (5:8) The sick man who had lost love, hope, and faith was restored to his feet by the words of Jesus. Jesus’ words, filled with concern, consideration, and love for the sick man, revealed his true life and thus made healing possible.
The Word of God not only gives us life but also saves us. The Word of God penetrates deep into our hearts, purifies and renews us, and gives us the strength to live anew. The Word comes to us through our daily prayers, through the life of the Church, especially through the liturgy and the sacraments. It also speaks to us through countless events, encounters, and conversations in our daily lives. He speaks words full of concern and consideration for us and wants us to have a relationship with him and grow in that relationship.
How about praying like this now? Lord, open the ears of our souls so we can live by your words today!
