Family Activity

The Power of Words

Jesus' words were so powerful, even the devil himself obeyed. In the time of Jesus, words were important. Without modern media and in a culture where literacy was at a premium, the spoken word was the only sure means of communication. Words could command, they could instruct, they could heal. The spoken word revealed one's inner power, one's character.

In our modern culture, words have lost value. They just seem to fill up times of silence. To get people's attention, many people shout. Many people, especially the young equate power with volume. The louder one shouts, the more power he or she has. To emphasize the true power of words, try a variation on the old "telephone" game. Set up a simple set of tasks on a table that cannot be easily recognized. Then line up your family and whisper a task to be done in the ear of the person next to you. Have that person repeat the command to the one next to them, and so on. If the person at the end of the line accomplishes the task, reward the family. If the person doesn't, find out why. (Were the instructions clear? Did everyone understand? Etc.) Discuss how the power of words depend upon clarity and simplicity, not upon volume. Then read Mark 1:21-28 and explain how Jesus spoke clearly and simply about God, because he really knew God. Jesus had power in his words. He didn't need to shout or yell to be heard.