Whoever keeps My Word will Never Die.

Homily for April 6, 2017.


If someone were to advertise a certain lotion to you saying that this is the lotion of life and that if you apply it on your body, you will never die again, I am sure you will be more than happy to buy it regardless of the price.

That lotion is available; it is the word of God and its price is free. Jesus tells us today that “if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” In this way, Jesus re-echoes what he earlier said: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever.” John 6:51.

Of course, in both instances, the Jews do not take his words likely. Death is considered as something inevitable and it is normal to expect every normal human being to die. To say that there is a way we humans can escape death was something too strange and too difficult to understand.

Again for Jesus to talk about how we can live forever and not see death, it simply shows his Divinity. Only the one who has power over death can tell you how to live without tasting death. So, because the Jews were too blind to recognise Jesus as God, they took serious offence at him.

They wondered how a 33year old man could claim to have power over life and death. They gave examples of prophets who lived and died; even Abraham whom they held in very high esteem did not live forever. For Jesus to be saying these things, it is either he is out of his mind or he is greater than Abraham.

That was when Jesus gave them the shocker of their lives. Jesus said without mincing words: “Before Abraham was, I am.” Just as God revealed himself to Moses as “I Am” in Exodus 3:14, Jesus was simply telling them: “I am God.” By saying “I am” instead of “I was” Jesus meant to say He always is and will be forever.

The Jews just couldn’t take it; they immediately picked up stones to throw at him. The reaction of the Jews is a reflection of how we sometimes react to the truth. Instead of embracing it, we try very hard to fight it and stick to what we already know.

Abraham did not react this way when God entered into a covenant with him. Even though he did not see God face to face, even though he had not physical proof of what God was saying, he accepted God’s word as truth.

He believed everything God said to him. Even without having a child yet, he accepted the change of name from Abram (which means ‘exalted father’) to Abraham (which means father of multitude). Abraham believed the impossible and did the unthinkable.

But the Jews were not willing to believe like Abraham. They doubted so much that if they were in the shoes of Abraham, they would never have believed that God could be the one speaking to them. No wonder Jesus said Abraham is not their father.

Dear friends, the questions for us today are: Do I really believe Jesus is God or is it the case that I  am still doubting like the Jews? Do I believe that by keeping the words of Jesus, I will live forever?”

And since I desire to live forever, why don’t I keep the words of Jesus? Why am I constantly disobeying the word by committing sin? Am I trying to eat my cake and have it?

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, bless me with the kind of faith Abraham had. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Thursday of the 5th Week of Lent. Bible Study: Genesis 17:3-9 and John 8:51-59).


Fr. Abu. 

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