20220407 WHO ARE YOU CLAIMING TO BE?
07 April, 2022, Thursday, 5th Week of Lent
First reading | Genesis 17:3-9 © |
Abraham, the father of a multitude of nations
Abram bowed to the ground and God said this to him, ‘Here now is my covenant with you: you shall become the father of a multitude of nations. You shall no longer be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I make you father of a multitude of nations. I will make you most fruitful. I will make you into nations, and your issue shall be kings. I will establish my Covenant between myself and you, and your descendants after you, generation after generation, a Covenant in perpetuity, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. I will give to you and to your descendants after you the land you are living in, the whole land of Canaan, to own in perpetuity, and I will be your God.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 104(105):4-9 © |
The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
Consider the Lord and his strength;
constantly seek his face.
Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, the judgements he spoke.
The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
O children of Abraham, his servant,
O sons of the Jacob he chose.
He, the Lord, is our God:
his judgements prevail in all the earth.
The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
He remembers his covenant for ever,
his promise for a thousand generations,
the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.
The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Jn6:63,68 |
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;
you have the message of eternal life.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Or: | Ps94:8 |
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Gospel | John 8:51-59 © |
Your father Abraham saw my Day and was glad
Jesus said to the Jews:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
whoever keeps my word
will never see death.’
The Jews said, ‘Now we know for certain that you are possessed. Abraham is dead, and the prophets are dead, and yet you say, “Whoever keeps my word will never know the taste of death.” Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? The prophets are dead too. Who are you claiming to be?’ Jesus answered:
‘If I were to seek my own glory
that would be no glory at all;
my glory is conferred by the Father,
by the one of whom you say, “He is our God”
although you do not know him.
But I know him,
and if I were to say: I do not know him,
I should be a liar, as you are liars yourselves.
But I do know him, and I faithfully keep his word.
Your father Abraham rejoiced
to think that he would see my Day;
he saw it and was glad.’
The Jews then said, ‘You are not fifty yet, and you have seen Abraham!’ Jesus replied:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
before Abraham ever was,
I Am.’
At this they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself and left the Temple.
WHO ARE YOU CLAIMING TO BE?
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [GN 17:3-9; PS 105:4-9; JN 8:51-59 ]
Today, we arrive at the climax of the identity of Jesus. At the beginning of John chapter 7, we read that Jesus “did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him.” (Jn 7:1) “Even his own brothers did not believe in him.” (Jn 7:5) But later at the Jewish Feast of Tabernacle, He secretly went up to Jerusalem. Half way through the festival, Jesus began to teach. “The Jews there were amazed and asked, ‘How did this man get such learning without having been taught?'” But the people were confused about His real identity. There was division about who Jesus really was. (Jn 7:25-27) While the Jewish leaders sought to kill Him, there were many who were impressed by Him, including the temple guards who were sent to arrest Jesus and Nicodemus, the Pharisee who came by night to look for Jesus. (Jn 7:45-50) Could He be the Messiah? Or was He possessed by a demon? (cf Jn 7:20; 8:49) It is not surprising that the Jews were divided over the identity of Jesus. The apostles were asked by our Lord, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.'” (Mt 16:13f)
Even today, the world is divided over who Jesus is. This is the cause of disagreement and often tension between Christians and those of other religions, or without religions. Non-Christians perceive Christians as too triumphalistic in proclaiming Jesus as the Son of God and the unique Saviour of the world. No religion has ever claimed that their founder is divine. Not all religions claim that their religion is the only one that can save us. For the sake of unity, Christians are often pressured to compromise their confession in Jesus by acknowledging that Jesus is one of the many saviours of the world, not the only One, even if we claim that He is divine. But by so doing, we know that we are not true to the Christian confession of faith in Christ as the Son of God, the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (cf Jn 14:7f)
Hence, it is best for us to leave the clarification to Jesus. Unlike in the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus was illusive of His divine claim. In John’s gospel, He was more direct, alluding in His teaching and in the signs that He manifested, as in the changing of water into wine, His claim to be the Living Water (Jn 4), the Bread of Life (Jn 6) and that He existed before Abraham. “At this they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself and left the Temple.” In using the pronoun, “I am”, Jesus was referring to God who revealed Himself to Moses as the I am. God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.'” (Ex 3:14) They took up stones to throw at Jesus because He was blaspheming. Moses commanded, “Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him.” (Lev 24:14)
What was the basis for Jesus’ claim to divinity? Firstly, Jesus claimed that He was the fulfilment of God’s promise to Abraham. In the first reading, God made a covenant with Abram. “Here now is my covenant with you: you shall become the father of a multitude of nations. You shall no longer be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I will make you father of a multitude of nations. I will make you most fruitful. I will make you into nations, and your issue shall be kings.” Abram’s name was changed to Abraham to signify that he would be the father of a multitude of nations. Not only of nations but of kings as well. It is significant that this covenant was extended to all nations and not just the Israelites. This was an unimaginable promise made to Abraham. Who would believe that such a promise was possible? Abraham however believed in faith that God would bring about His plan for him.
Indeed, a thousand years later, Israel became a nation and a kingdom with Saul and David as the beginning of Israel. There was a line of kings. God confirmed His promise with David when He said, “The Lord himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.'” (2 Sm 7:12-16) Then another thousand years later, Jesus was born at Bethlehem because His foster father, Joseph was a descendant of David. “Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah. Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.” (Mt 1:16f)
This was why the Lord said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to think that he would see my Day; he saw it and was glad.” Abraham rejoiced to see the promises of God made to him being fulfilled. In faith, he believed in the promise of God. When the Lord said “my Day”, He was referring to the whole life of Jesus, His ministry and the Paschal Mystery. In other words, the salvific events in the life of Christ. Indeed, Abraham and Sarah already rejoiced in laughter when the divine messengers announced to them that Isaac would be born of them. Jesus would be the ultimate fulfilment of the promise.
Secondly, the Lord laid claim to His divinity by saying that He pre-existed before Abraham. “The Jews said, ‘You are not fifty yet, and you have seen Abraham!’ Jesus replied: ‘I tell you most solemnly, before Abraham ever was, I Am.'” The pre-existence of Jesus is already mentioned right at the very beginning of the prologue of John’s gospel. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.” (Jn 1:1-3) St Paul would later wrote about His pre-existence as well. (Col 1:15-20; Phil 2:6-11)
Thirdly, Jesus claimed that He knew God personally. Jesus answered, “If I were to seek my own glory that would be no glory at all; my glory is conferred by the Father, by the one whom you say, ‘He is our God’ although you do not know him. But I know him, and if I were to say: I do not know him, I should be a liar, as you are liars yourselves.” Indeed, Jesus could not deny who He was, otherwise, He would be a liar. Unlike us, we deny the true divinity of Jesus so that we can please the world in affirming our belief in Christ. We want to be seen as all embracing, people of whatever beliefs and thoughts, whatever cultures and values they have. Relativism tells us it does not matter what one believes so long as he or she likes it.
Fourthly, He was obedient to God’s Word. “But I do know him, and I faithfully keep his word.” How can we be sure that we know God unless His word abides in us! So long as we do not obey His word, we cannot claim that we know Him. “Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments. Whoever says, ‘I have come to know him,’ but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; but whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says, ‘I abide in him,’ ought to walk just as he walked.” (1 Jn 2:3-6; cf 1 Jn 5:3; Jn 14:21)
Consequently, believing in Jesus and His Word give us life. Jesus said, “I tell you most solemnly, whoever keeps my word will never see death.” Death is of course more than physical death. It is the eternal death that Jesus is speaking about. Those who believe in Him will never die because they will be in communion with Him. This was what He said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” (Jn 11:25f) But this presumes we confess with Martha, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” (Jn 11:27)
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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