It’s one thing to say the Bible is the living, breathing word of God.
It’s another thing to believe it.
It is far easier to regard it as an old-timey book filled with outdated rules and references to old-fashioned customs and places that no longer exist. It’s comforting to stand at a distance from the Bible as a nameless, impartial observer, passing judgment on those dolts who kept messing up over and over again.
But there is one simple, foolproof way to instantly make it alive, relevant, incredibly, and yes, even uncomfortably close to home.
All that’s required is changing one word.
First, let’s start with a quick look at the Last Supper discourse in the 14th chapter of John. Jesus is giving his apostles one last sermon/strategy session/pep talk before he is arrested. It’s a lot to handle. And God bless ’em, even though they’ve been with Jesus for three years, and he’s trying to be as clear as possible, they are having trouble comprehending his message.
In a possible attempt to simplify things, Philip speaks up.
Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?
John 14:8-9
Now for the edit that changes everything…
Replace “Philip” with YOUR name.
Then read it again.
In my case, it goes like this: “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Jason?”
Suddenly, I’m no longer rolling my eyes at good old Philip. Instead, I think about times I’ve been in the middle of a crisis of faith (which may or may not have been ten minutes ago), uncertain about the future, and I turn to God for some sort of consolation. In those moments, I don’t feel like I’m asking for much. Just one itty bitty bone that God can throw me to prove that he’s with me and has my back.
And Jesus says to me, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Jason?”
*Gulp.* This just got real.
Jesus just broke the Fourth Wall.
With one changed word, this is no longer one random statement of many that Jesus uttered two thousand years ago to one of his hard-headed apostles. No, it’s a very relevant question being asked of me, today, by my Savior.
He looks at me and into my soul with his loving eyes.
I am convicted as I ponder all of the blessings he’s showered me with over my lifetime, all the encouragement he’s given, and the closeness I’ve felt in my darkest times. Every last one of them is proof of his love for me.
And here I am asking him for more.
You can be sure that I spent a good amount of time praying over this.
You may recognize this as a form of contemplation handed down by good old St. Ignatius, founder of the Jesuits. The idea is to place yourself in a Biblical scene and try and become a part of it by using your imagination. You can be one of the background characters, or in this case, become one of the leads by inserting your name.
Now I can’t say this works all the time for every verse with someone’s name in it. But here are a few more to try, just from the Gospel of Luke alone:
“______, _______, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing.” (Luke 10:41-42)
“_______, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” (Luke 19:5)
“I tell you, _______, that you will deny three times that you know me.” (Luke 22:34)
“_______, behold, Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail.” (Luke 22:31)
With this practice, you’re not just watching the Gospel. You’re in the cast.
The Bible may be ancient but it is very much alive.
It is the greatest story of all time.
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