Sermonette for Saturday
And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and as his custom was, He went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. Luke 4:16
I don’t suppose there is a hard-and-fast rule that says a brother must stand up to read a portion of the Scriptures during one of our meetings. But it would be highly unusual for the brother not to, and most of the Christians would probably consider it irreverent, unless the brother had a physical limitation that prevented him from standing. A person who stands to read is able to speak clearly so that all can hear. But most importantly, the brother is able to give proper reverence to the reading of the Word of God. And nothing is more deserving of reverence. It is not just a good habit that those in our Assemblies have established, either. Down through history, the public reading of the Scriptures has always been by one who stood to read. It is true today of those who read the Scriptures in Jewish synagogues, and it was just as true of those who read them during the time of Christ. When our text speaks of the Lord Jesus standing to read, it is not just noting His reverence for the Word, but the reverence for the Word that all Jewish people showed. As it should be.
Jesus was not starting a new practice when He stood to read the Scriptures, although the fact that He did so is a strong confirmation of the concept. Throughout the history of the Israelites, they stood to read, and stood to hear read, the Scriptures. They knew that it was the Word of God. They knew that it was miraculously produced by the Holy Spirit. It was with deepest reverence that they handled it, and heard it. It is to their credit that the Jewish people today, in their religious exercises, show the utmost respect for the Word of God. They do far better than many of the people in the world around us. As the Bible is given less and less place in our society, fewer people even understand that it is from God. For some, the Bible is of no more relevance than other so-called holy books that other religions recognize. But the Bible is the eternal truth of the eternal God. It is not the compiled imaginations of a compulsive liar like Joseph Smith, nor the rantings of a demented psychopath like Mohammed, and should never be reduced to their level. The writings of those characters have all been proven false, while not one word of the Bible has ever been successfully challenged.
How should we show respect for the Bible? How should we display our recognition of the Bible as the inspired Word of God? First of all, we should read it, and read it as though it were the most important and necessary information in the world, which it is. Secondly, we should obey it, putting it into practice in every facet of our lives. Thirdly, we should let others know of our recognition of it as the Word of God. We will quote it, and speak of it, with reverence and care.
The Lord Jesus showed the utmost respect for the Word of God. Can we do any less? – Jim MacIntosh