“Faith comes by hearing.” Rom 10.17 ~~ La foi naît du message que l’on entend

Tuesday 19^th December 

Matthew17:1-9    Psalm 146         Isaiah 38.9-20   1 Thessalonians 5.12-28

Matthieu 17.1-9    Psaumes 146    Esaie 38.9-20     1 Thessaloniciens 5.12-28

Three men went up a mountain and saw the Incarnate Lord in His glory, heard a voice say, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am delighted!”, and then fell on their faces, overwhelmed. ^v.1-6 Touched, they looked up and saw Him again, but this time He was alone. ^v.7-8 “Don’t tell anyone,” they were told, not just yet.^v.9 But later they were told they should tell people, and they did. In the face of growing doubts, they assured others of how genuine this glory really was, ^{2 Pet 1:16} so that “the Morning Star” would arise in their hearts. ^v.19

Years earlier, three men, perhaps more, had seen this Morning Star arise from lands afar ^{Mt 2:2} with His glory meekly laid aside.^{Phil 2:7} Overjoyed, ^{Mt 2:10 NIV} rejoicing with exceedingly great joy, ^{AV, NKJV, ESV} they too had fallen on their faces, and they worshipped Him – truly, genuinely, the one Almighty God.^v.11 No doubt, like the shepherds who had heard the “good tidings of great joy” ^{Lk 2:10} from angels singing “Gloria in excelsis Deo”, they too had gone off to “spread the word”. ^v.17 Christ is born, Christ is born, “veiled in flesh, the Godhead see!” ^{Hark the Herald, v.2}

Who knows what lights were lit in hearts by what the shepherds then told in Israel and the wise men in lands afar…? Who knows when and how the Morning Star might arise in hearts today, by words spoken, messages sent, carols sung…?

Faith is born of hearing. « La foi naît du message que l’on entend. » ^BDS “Zo is dan het geloof uit het gehoor.” ^HSV „Der Glaube kommt aus dem Hören der Botschaft.“ ^HOF “Faith comes by hearing.” ^{Rom 10:17}

James Pitts