12 Days of Christmas/Days 6 and 7 (John Wycliffe)

I'm a bit behind in my blog series exploring the 12 Days of Christmas on the litergical calendar. It seems the Anglican Church in North America sets aside 5 specific days as Holy (or Dedicated): December 25 (Nativity), December 26 (the Martyrdom of Stephen), December 27 (The Apostle John), December 28 (The Holy Innocents), and January 1 (The Dedication of Jesus in the Temple). It also seems that there are several days of reflection throughout Christmastide including December 30 (Day 6). So, although December 31 (Day 7) is not on the above list, it's not one I want to skip over. Why? Because it highlights John Wycliffe's reform and the importance of the Bible becoming available to all people.

John Wycliffe was known as "The Morning Star of the Reformation." Roughly 200 years before the time known as the Reformation, Wycliffe saw the need for the Church to separate itself from the political agendas it had been aligned with since the days of Constantine. He was a vocal advocate for the priesthood of all believers and spoke up against the abuses of power within the Church. And, he was an advocate for all people having access to the Scriptures in their own language.

There is so much more to say about Wycliffe's influence, but for this blog post, let's just take a moment to be thankful that we live in a day and age where most of us own a personal Bible, if not several different translations. And although, the Bible is often taken out of context and used in a wrong manner, it is also a source of great comfort and internal healing to those who allow its supernatural work to penetrate their hearts. "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12, ESV)

What exactly does that mean? –that when reading the Bible, we are not just reading words on a page. Jesus said (in the parable of the sower) that these words are like seeds of transformation that get implanted into our hearts. When the soil of our heart is good, we find ourselves working with the Holy Spirit to cultivate and grow the principles they imply within our lives. It is in this manner that we are literally changed from the inside out.

Having good soil (a good heart) doesn't mean that we can't acknowledge our shadow side, or sin patterns (of which we all have). On the contrary, when we ignore those parts within that need transformation according to God's ways, we end up hardening our hearts to the Spirit's work. Instead, good soil is simply the understanding that, because God loves us so dearly, He enters into our darkness, and lights the path for us to find freedom from all that has entangled or ensnared us. This is an internal work that frees us from deception so that we can live before God in confidence and joy. And unless we allow God's word to do His work within us, we tend to lean towards rigid, religious practices trying to earn God's favor. Or, we flat out deny our need of Him.

It is the knowledge of the Word of God that allows us to see the difference between that which God has established as good and right, and our man-made attempts of creating God in our own image (so that we do not have to change). I for one am thankful that the importance of interacting with the Scriptures on a daily basis was stressed to me early in my walk with Jesus. They have truly been a lifeline thrown my way during many a storm. And, although there are times I have had to wrestle with the meaning of historical references and theological concepts, Holy Spirit has always been faithful to bring me into a deeper understanding of what I am reading and how it applies directly.

And this understanding always leads me to recognize the deep love, mercy, and goodness of my Heavenly Father–one who longs for His children to understand how much they are loved and valued by Him.