A sermon preached by the Reverend Canon Dr. David Anderson, at St. Jude’s Church, Oakville on Wednesday, September 29, 2026, Memorial of St Jerome. Title: ‘The Word That Opens Our Eyes.’ Texts: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-8; Psalm 119:105-112; Luke 24:44-48.
I speak to you in the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
When we celebrate St Jerome, the Church places before us readings that could hardly be more appropriate. They all centre on one thing: the Word of God.
In the first reading, we see the people gathered around the scriptures. In the psalm, we hear that God's Word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. In the Gospel, the risen Jesus opens the minds of the disciples to understand the scriptures.
And when we think of the saints, there is perhaps no one more associated with sacred scripture than St Jerome. Some know his famous saying: "Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ." That was not simply a clever phrase. It was the conviction that shaped his entire life. Jerome understood something that we sometimes forget: the Bible is not merely a religious book. It is the privileged place where God reveals himself and where we come to know Jesus Christ.
Today's readings invite us to reflect on three movements: hearing the Word, understanding the Word, and becoming witnesses to the Word. St Jerome exemplifies all three.
- Hearing the Word. The first reading presents a remarkable scene. The people have returned from exile. Jerusalem has been rebuilt. But they know that rebuilding walls is not enough. What they need most is to be rebuilt as God's people. So they gather in the square and ask Ezra to bring out the Book of the Law. Men, women, and all who could understand listen attentively for hours. Imagine that. No entertainment. No distractions. No rush. They stand there because they are hungry for God's Word.
Perhaps that is the first challenge for us. We live in an age overwhelmed by words. Every day we receive countless messages, notifications, emails, headlines, videos, and opinions. There is a cacophony of voices constantly calling out to us with their invitations to all kinds of distractions, lies, and temptations. Hearing the voice of God in the midst of it all is a real challenge.
St Jerome lived in a world that was also full of distractions. He was highly educated. He loved literature and rhetoric. He had every opportunity for a successful and comfortable life. Yet he became convinced that all human wisdom was secondary to the wisdom found in God's Word.
There is a story from Jerome's life. He dreamt that he stood before the judgement seat of Christ. When he claimed to be a Christian, he heard the accusation: "You are not a Christian; you are a Ciceronian." In other words, he loved classical literature more than he loved Christ. Whether the dream happened exactly as reported is not the point. The point is that Jerome recognised the danger of filling his mind with everything except God.
That is a challenge for us. Our minds are full. The question is: full of what? If someone looked at our day, would they conclude that God's Word matters to us?
The people in Nehemiah's time gathered around the scriptures because they understood that hearing God's voice was essential for life. We need that same hunger today.
- Understanding the Word. But hearing is only the beginning. The reading tells us that the Levites moved among the people and explained the meaning of what was read. The text says that they interpreted the law so that the people could understand. That is exactly what Jerome dedicated his life to doing.
Most Christians take it for granted that they can read the Bible in their own language. But Jerome understood the immense labour required to make scripture accessible. He spent years learning Hebrew and Greek. He studied tirelessly. He travelled. He consulted scholars. He wrestled with difficult passages. He eventually translated much of the Bible into Latin, creating what became known as the Vulgate, the translation of the Bible used by the church for centuries.
This was not simply an academic exercise. Jerome wanted ordinary believers to understand God's Word. He knew that a Bible left unopened changes no one's life. A Bible that is heard but not understood bears little fruit. God's Word must enter both the mind and the heart.
Today’s Gospel Reading shows exactly this process. The disciples have already seen Jesus. They have heard him speak. Yet they still do not fully understand. Then we hear one of the most beautiful lines in scripture: "He opened their minds to understand the scriptures." Notice that Jesus does not merely give them information. He gives them insight. Suddenly they see that the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms all point to him. What had seemed like disconnected stories now reveal a single plan of salvation.
The same thing must happen to us. Many people know Bible stories. They know about Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and the apostles. But Christianity is not about collecting Bible facts. The purpose of scripture is to lead us to Christ.
Jerome understood this profoundly. For him, every page of scripture pointed ultimately to Jesus. That is why he could say that ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ. To know scripture is not merely to know the text. It is to know the person revealed through the text.
Every time we read the Gospel prayerfully, Christ speaks. Every time we meditate on the scriptures, Christ opens our minds a little more. Every time we listen attentively at worship, Christ is teaching us.
- Becoming Witnesses of the Word. The Gospel does not end with understanding. Jesus says to the disciples: "You are witnesses of these things." This is the third movement. Hear the Word. Understand the Word. Then live and proclaim the Word.
There is no such thing as a disciple who simply keeps Christ to themselves. The disciples are sent into the world. What they have received, they must share. And this is where St Jerome's example becomes especially powerful. Jerome was known for his sharp tongue and strong personality. He could be difficult. He could be argumentative. He was certainly not perfect.
That should encourage us. The saints are not people without flaws. They are people who allow God's grace to work through their flaws. For all his weaknesses, Jerome was consumed by one overriding passion: helping people encounter Christ through scripture. Even in old age, living in Bethlehem near the place where Jesus was born, he continued studying, writing, translating, and teaching. He spent his life as a witness. Not by travelling the world as a missionary. Not by performing spectacular miracles. But by dedicating himself to the Word of God. And because of that witness, countless generations have come to know Christ more deeply.
Most of us will not translate the Bible. Most of us will never write biblical commentaries. But all of us are called to witness. Parents witness by teaching their children to pray. Grandparents witness by remaining faithful through the years. Young people witness by following Christ when it is unpopular. Workers witness through honesty and integrity. All Christians witness when they live according to the Gospel.
The most convincing Bible many people will ever read is the life of a believer. Lesslie Newbiggen, the missional theologian of the 20th century once asked in one of his writings, “How is it possible that the gospel should be credible, that people should come to believe that the power which has the last word in human affairs is represented by a man hanging on a cross?” Newbiggin was arguing that words alone are not enough to make the good news of the gospel understandable and intelligible to people. He ended that paragraph by saying this: “I am suggesting that the only answer, the only hermeneutic of the gospel, is a congregation of men and women who believe it and live by it.” A hermeneutic is a method or tool used to interpret a text or message. Newbiggin was pointing out that in a skeptical or secular society—a society with a cacophony of voices each shouting out their own invitations, the claim that a crucified criminal holds ultimate power sounds foolish or unbelievable. What he concluded was that people need living proof: The only way the world can understand and test the truth of the gospel is by seeing it embodied in the actual, communal lifestyle of a local Christian congregation.
A Final Thought. Today's psalm says: "Your word is a lamp for my steps and a light for my path." Notice that the psalm does not say that God's Word is a floodlight showing the entire journey. It is a lamp. A lamp gives enough light for the next step. That was true for Ezra and the people after the exile. It was true for the disciples learning to understand the risen Lord. It was true for St Jerome in his long years of study and service. And it is true for us.
We may not know what the future holds. We may face uncertainties in our families, our parish, our health, or our world. But God's Word continues to light the next step.
On this feast of St Jerome, let us renew our love for the scriptures. Let us read them faithfully. Let us study them attentively. Let us pray with them deeply. And let us ask the Lord to do for us what he did for the disciples on the road to Easter: to open our minds, warm our hearts, and transform our lives.
Then, like St Jerome, we will discover that the scriptures are not simply words on a page. They are the living voice of Christ. And having heard that voice, understood that voice, and followed that voice, we too will become his witnesses in the world.
Amen. +
