Word to the Wise
Thursday, April 7, 2022 - 5th Week of Lent - Thurs
[Gen 17:3-9 and John 8:51-59]"Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death!......Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM." [John]
These two statements from today's gospel passage would be startling at any time, let alone to the Jews of Jesus' time! Any statement of Jesus in the Gospel According to John that begins with "Amen, amen, I say to you...." is important. [cf. chapter 6 and the "bread of life discourse!"] The listener is challenged to go beyond the literal, worldly understanding of the words to the theological/spiritual significance.
The first statement speaks to the significance of faith in Jesus. It is equivalent to eternal life in the present, and not just in the hereafter. Scripture scholars and theologians call this "realized eschatology!" Death and darkness in the Gospel According to John mean unbelief. Jesus' audience thinks only in terms of earthly physical life. They also think in terms of their ancient roots in Abraham. Jesus is obviously not that old in earthly terms.
This leads to the most startling statement of all - "Before Abraham came to be, I AM." This statement sends us back to the Prologue to this gospel: "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God..." [John 1:1] Jesus exists from all eternity and shares the name God spoke to Moses from the burning bush: "I AM!" To the audience at the time, this would be blasphemy and they started to stone Jesus!!
We share with Jews and Moslems the descent from Abraham in terms of the human experience of God's plan of salvation, but we go beyond that experience to our faith in the eternal triune God who became human so that we could be participants in the very life of God. God is not simply "God out there," but God "inside" through faith. As the Prologue says, "But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name." [John 1:12]. Jesus' statements in today's gospel passage may seem on their face to be startling, but they are the simple truth of our faith. AMEN
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