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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