ST. JOHN I. 14 31
Many had tried to interpret it into human speech. Psalmiets, prophets, philosophers had tried; but their words died away, leaving fainter and fainter echoes in man's conscience. They had written their interpretation, but God's word can never find full expression in a book. Language must be transformed into life — and not, this time, the general life of the universe, but our human life — that we may understand. So " the Word became flesh." The meaning of life, the purpose of God in creation, became intelligible in Jesus Christ. His whole speech and con- duct and being interpreted the world. When men saw Him they said, Life ought to be like that : God is like that.
Take three of the words of God, and let us see their trans- formation into life in Christ : —
(a) Holiness. — The word was familiar, for there was abundance of ethical speculation and of conscience too. But holiness was dead and buried in formal rules of conduct, paralysed by man's universal failure, and hopelessly unattainable. But here was holiness splendidly alive, spontaneous, free, and natural. Here it was not merely attainable but actually attained. Jesus Christ — that was what God had meant by conscience, what conscience had tried to say ; that was what ethical science had seen afar off, but never reached.
(h) Love — the most fascinating and yet the most elusive word of God. Men heard it in their own hearts and homes, but it was uncertain or sinister, and always precarious, being threatened both by life and by death. That was human love, and the Divine love was but a remote and dim whisper of possible goodwill, if things turned out to be as one sometimes almost dared to hope. But here was love at once stronger than death and simple as the laughter of a child. Men saw its patience, its responsiveness, its facility. They felt its tenderness, its understanding, its healing power. Here is God's heart, seen in the heart of a man. Here is what all true love actually means. The word Love had become flesh.
(c) Death — that last sad word. Every death before had been recognized as a Word of God, but how unfriendly and how harsh ! Since Jesus died, men have known what God means by His great word Death, for the death of Jesus has interpreted the whole of life. In the light of its love and sacrifice we look with new eyes
32 THE INCARNATION OF THE WORD
upon sin, despair, forgiveness, restoration. And that death has reinterpreted death itself, giving to it surprisingly rich and blessed meaning. All the wonder of the eternal life — its rest, its renewal, its reward, its higher service — all these were included in the meaning of the word death, when in Christ language was translated into life. Truly man may say to the spectre, at the grave of Jesus —
Thou hast stolen a jewel. Death, Shall light thy dark up like a star.
All this, and far more than this, is included in the- meaning of " the word became flesh." Flesh, the tempted and tempting thing, weak and suffering, subject to all contingencies and liable to all risks — flesh was used to express adequately and for ever the meaning of God's word of creation.
(3) The third stage of this incarnation has yet to be considered. The text is a command that the word shall become flesh again in every Christian life. The translation of language into life is the great act of religion.
We are familiar with the idea of the incarnation being perpetuated in the Bible, the Church, and the Sacraments. But besides these, each life around us is a Word of God, a special purpose and design realized in flesh in its degree. This thought surely gives new meaning to our intercourse with those who do business with us or live beside us. " There is but one temple in the world," says Novalis, *'and that temple is the Body of Man. . . . We touch heaven when we lay our hands on a human body." Another has said : " The body of a child is as the body of the Lord; I am not worthy of either." How reverently, gently, purely, should we treat one another if this is indeed so.
But most especially in ourselves must language be transformed into life. We all hear many words of God. The worship of the Church, its songs and prayers, its readings and thoughts, and the inward response to these is desire, aspiration, and resolve ; these words are to become flesh in us when we return from our worship to our daily life. And also there are other words which our spirits hear from day to day. What has life been saying to you ? What has your experience meant ? What lessons has God been trying to make you understand ? Some of it we cannot under-
ST. JOHN I. 14 33
stand, and all that is required of us is that we shall walk among these unknown voices of life, erect and brave and self-respecting and gentle. But there is much that we understand quite well. It is the Word of God, spoken clearly and in familiar language by the voice of life.