Is it not written in your law, "I said, 'You are gods'?"

 

 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.  Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father.  For which of those works do you stone Me?"  The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."  Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods'"?  If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?  If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him."  Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.  And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed.  Then many came to Him and said, "John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true."  And many believed in Him there.

 

- John 10:31-42 

 

Yesterday we read that, after His encounters with the religious leaders in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles, there was a division again among them because of Christ's sayings.  And many of them said, "He has a demon and is mad.  Why do you listen to Him?"  Others said, "These are not the words of one who has a demon.  Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"  Now it was the Feast of Dedication, or Hanukkah, in Jerusalem, and it was winter.  And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch.  Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt?  If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."  Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe.  The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.  But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.  I and My Father are one."

 

Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.  Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father.  For which of those works do you stone Me?"  The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."   The religious leadership (those hostile to Jesus among the leaders, designated by the term the Jews in John's Gospel, and not the people) take up stones because of Jesus' statement from yesterday's reading, above, "I and My Father are one."  This is unequivocally a statement of equality with God the Father, which they consider to be blasphemy.   Jesus was responding to their question in verse 24 in yesterday's reading, above,  "How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."   My study Bible comments that He reveals Himself to be fully God:  One means one in nature or essence.  It says that He is God before all ages, and He remains God after the Incarnation and for all eternity.  The plural verb are indicates two distinct Persons, while confirming a continuous unity.  These religious leaders clearly recognize Christ's claim of divinity ("You, being a Man, make Yourself God"), and therefore they accuse Him of blasphemy.  

 

Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods'"?  If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?  If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him."   Jesus quotes from Psalm 82:6.  My study Bible comments on this quotation by Jesus that people who receive God's grace in faith will partake of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) and can rightly be called gods.  According to commentary by St. John Chrysostom, Christ is effectively saying, "If those who have received this honor by grace are not guilty for calling themselves gods, how can He who has this by nature deserve to be rebuked?"

 

 Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.  And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed.  Then many came to Him and said, "John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true."  And many believed in Him there.  My study Bible notes that because Christ is going to His Passion voluntarily and according to His own will (see verses 17-18 from yesterday's reading, above) His accusers cannot arrest Him until He is ready (John 7:30, 8:20; see also Luke 4:28-30).  Note the contrast between the people and the religious leaders; many who followed John  the Baptist, who was an extraordinarily revered figure, also believed in Christ.

 

  "Many good works I have shown you from My Father.  For which of those works do you stone Me?"  In today's reading, Jesus returns to the good works that He has done, as evidence of His tie to the Father.  Those good works testify to His identity, as He says, "they are from My Father."  That is, the seven signs given in John's Gospel (we have read six of them so far) are those which are manifestations of God the Father's will through Jesus; they are testimony to Christ's identity as Son.  In His own defense, He tells these religious leaders to "believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him."   As He said, in yesterday's reading (above), "The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me."  It reminds us of Jesus' teaching in Matthew's Gospel, "By their fruits you shall know them" (see Matthew 17:15-20).   In that teaching, He was warning of false prophets, whom He called "ravenous wolves" in "sheep's clothing."  He makes clear connections between the actual things people do and the reality of their inner disposition, as opposed to their appearance and words.  This passage therefore points to something profound within our faith, and that is the work of grace and the transformation possible through participation in the life of Christ, to which my study Bible points.  For the Eastern Orthodox this process is called theosis or divinization.  This is a sense in which the fruits of a life of faith include an ontological internal change; that is, we bear fruit of the Spirit.  St. Paul named these as "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (see Galatians 5:22-23).   Relevant to the context of today's reading, St. Paul adds, "Against such there is no law."  He is speaking of the power of grace working through us, for which all ascetic practice throughout the ages has emphasized first humility, so that we may be like Christ, and seek to do the Father's will.  Jesus explained it quite explicitly in our recent readings (from Saturday), when He said, " I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges," and "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.  It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God."  Earlier in chapter 10, He taught, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  Repeatedly Jesus has emphasized His own humility to the Father, and that it is the Father's glory that He seeks in all that He does.  So, we are encouraged to do the same, to live the same kind of life as does the human Jesus.  As He indicates here, He is the Son, but we are all called to be "gods."  That is, to fulfill the image and likeness in which we were created (Genesis 1:26) through our practices of worship, and the humility it takes to truly bear fruits of repentance and grace.  We become children of God by adoption, and in the sense that Jesus has used the word "father" in recent readings, we come to understand what this means.  When the leaders who oppose Him claimed to have Abraham as their father, He replies, "If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham."  Because murder is in their hearts, He later told them, "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do" (see John 8:37-47).  Through our faith practices, through worship and the Eucharist, through prayer and humility, and in particular, through grace and the work of the Holy Spirit, we may also become like our adoptive Father; we may follow Christ and the gifts He offers to us.  He is looking for those who hear His voice (John 10:27), and who can also bear His light into the world (Matthew 5:14-16, John 12:46, 2 Corinthians 4:6).  In this way, we do "the works of our Father," we can be "like Christ."  This is what He teaches them, and what He teaches us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand

 

 Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings.  And many of them said, "He has a demon and is mad.  Why do you listen to Him?"  Others said, "These are not the words of one who has a demon.  Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"  

Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.  And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch.  Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt?  If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."  

 

Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe.  The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.  But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.  I and My Father are one."

 

- John 10:19-30 

 

In our current cycle of readings (John 7:1-10:21), Jesus is attending the Feast of Tabernacles.  It is the final year of His earthly life and ministry.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued speaking to the Pharisees, who now seek to seize Him:   "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.  But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.  To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.  Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."  Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.  Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.  All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.  I am the door.  If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.  The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.  I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.  But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.  The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.  I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.  As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.  And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.  Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.  No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.  I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.  This command I have received from My Father." 

 

Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings.  And many of them said, "He has a demon and is mad.  Why do you listen to Him?"  Others said, "These are not the words of one who has a demon.  Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"   We end Jesus' time at the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:1-10:21) with division among the leadership regarding Him.  My study Bible asks us to observe that those who respond in faith are not merely impressed by signs, but perceive the holiness of His words.  

 

 Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.  And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch.  Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt?  If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."   John's Gospel turns to another feast in Jerusalem, the Feast of Dedication, which is also known as the "Festival of Lights" (or Hanukkah).  The Feast of Tabernacles is an autumn festival; we are now in winter, and it is approximately three months later.  The Feast of Dedication commemorates the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem after the Seleucid King Epiphanes desecrated it in 167 BC (see 1 Maccabees 1 - 4).  At this festival, my study Bible explains, the leaders of Israel's past were commemorated, may of whom were themselves shepherds.  Here once again, we remember that the term the Jews is used as a political term in John's Gospel, and it most frequently designates those in the religious leadership who are hostile to Him, not the people.  Jesus and His disciples, including the author of this Gospel, are all Jews.

Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe.  The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me."  My study Bible comments that both what Christ told them and the works He had done have already answered their question.  Only the Messiah could open the eyes of the blind (as prophesied in Isaiah 35:5, 42:7), a prerogative which belongs only to God (Psalm 146:8), or perform the miracles (the works that I do) that bear witness to Him.  Additionally, only the Messiah could speak to the hearts of people as had Christ (John 7:46, 9:21).  

"But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.  I and My Father are one."  My study Bible points out Christ's words, as I said to you, which indicate that these are the same Pharisees whom He addressed three months earlier at the Feast of Tabernacles (John 10:1-5; see yesterday's reading, above).  Jesus once again returns to the theme He so often emphasizes and which underlies both His words and works, His communion with the Father, which links Christ to His sheep who hear His voice.

 

Jesus returns repeatedly in John's Gospel, and especially as we have progressed through His various signs and teachings, to Christ's relationship to the Father.  It's very important that we understand the repeated emphasis not only on Christ's relationship with God the Father, but also how that communion includes Christ's sheep.  There is a connection between the Father, Christ, and the sheep who "hear Christ's voice" and respond to it.  This is also linked to Peter's confession and Jesus' response to him in Matthew's Gospel, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven" (see Matthew 16:17-18).   It is upon this faith that Christ's church is built -- this communion that runs between Father, Son, and those who are capable of hearing His voice, for whom His words have meaning and impact.  Let us look more closely at Christ's words and the fullness of meaning in today's reading, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.  I and My Father are one."  The level of absolute confidence that Christ expresses here seems to be extraordinary:  His sheep hear His voice, He knows them and they follow Him.  He gives them eternal life -- an no one will take them away from Him, because no one can take them from the Father who is greater than all.  These are statements of unshakeable confidence; there is no hesitation nor wavering nor guessing, but total faith in what He is saying.  Moreover, one cannot help but feel awe at the confidence expressed in us, the sheep who follow Him, that we are not going to be lost.  He is clearly speaking of future generations to come, the generations of the Church, of the faithful, the sheep who continue today to come to Him even two millennia later.  We should be blessed by this absolute confidence, because these words include all of us.  They should not only give us pause, but also give us the confidence of His love, that we will never be let go, and that whatever forces seek to snatch us away from the love of God will not prevail, because, as Jesus declares here, "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand" and "I and My Father are one."  The rest of us, we sheep who follow, cannot speak with such confidence.  We know that we are not perfect, that we are always in need of humility and of our own vigilance in seeking to deepen, strengthen, shore up our faith, and help one another to do so.  But Christ speaks with confidence for all of us, because this confidence that we need is in Him, and it is in the Father who is greater than all.  We might not be able to put this kind of confidence into ourselves and our own potential for fallibility, but our trust and confidence may be placed in Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit, and there we stand in faith, for they shall not fail.

I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own

 

 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.  But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.  To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.  Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."  Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.  All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.  I am the door.  If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.  The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.  

 

"I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.  But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.  The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.  I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.  As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.  And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.  Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.  No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.  I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.  This command I have received from My Father."

 

- John 10:1-18 

 

In our present cycle of readings (John 7:1-10:21), Jesus is attending the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, and it is the final day of the Feast.  It is also the final year of Christ's earthly life and ministry.  He has just healed a man who was blind from birth, which is the sixth of seven signs in John's Gospel.  Yesterday we read that the religious leaders did not believe concerning the healed man, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight.  And they asked them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind?  How then does he now see?"  His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know.  He is of age; ask him.  He will speak for himself."  His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.  Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."  So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, "Give God the glory!  We know that this Man is a sinner."  He answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know.  One thing I know:  that though I was blind, now I see."  Then they said to him again, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?"  He answered them, "I told you already, and you did not listen.  Why do you want to hear it again?  Do you also want to become His disciples?"  Then they reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are Moses' disciples.  We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from."  The man answered and said to them, "Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes!  Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.  Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind.  If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing."  They answered and said to him, "You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?"  And they cast him out.  Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?"  He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?"  And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you."  Then he said, "Lord, I believe!"  And he worshiped Him.  And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind."  Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, "Are we blind also?"  Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.'  Therefore your sin remains."

 

  "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.  But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep."  My study Bible comments on today's entire reading that Jesus' conversation with the Pharisees continues, as there is no break between John 9:41 and 10:1.  This is taking place, as noted above, at the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles, the "last day, that great day of the feast" (John 7:37).  Jesus is contrasting their leadership with His own.  He characterizes them as failed pastors of God's people ("pastor," my study Bible reminds us, comes from the Latin word for "shepherd").  Their leadership has been marked by deceit and pride and has lacked compassion.  Christ, on the other hand, fulfills all virtue.  My study Bible cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, who explains that the door is God's Word, which indicates both the Scriptures and also our Lord Himself (see verses 7 and 9), as the Scriptures reveal God the Word.  Anyone who tries to lead in a way that is neither in Christ nor according to the teaching of the Scriptures is a thief and a robber.   Rather than using this door so all can see His works openly, my study Bible notes, these false shepherds are using underhanded means to control, steal, and manipulate people, ultimately destroying their souls (verse 10).  In contrast, those pastors who lead according to Christ will find eternal life (verse 9).

"To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.  Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."  Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.   My study Bible comments that as Christ has intimate knowledge of every person, so also true pastors in the Church strive to know their people by name, that is, personally.  Such pastors try to understand each person's situation and needs, from the greatest to the least, and to express Christlike compassion for each (Hebrews 4:15).  In return, people respond to a true leader of this time, trusting that such a person is a follower of Christ.  St. Ignatius of Antioch is quoted:  "Where the bishop is present, there the people shall gather."  Truly, and in Orthodox tradition, the response of the faithful can be a better indicator of who is a true shepherd than the claims of leaders (John 7:47-49).  Note that these leaders fail to understand the things which He spoke to them (John 8:47).

Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.  All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.  I am the door.  If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.  The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."  My study Bible explains that the phrase all who ever came before Me refers not to Moses or to genuine prophets, but rather to those claiming to be the Messiah both before and after Christ, such as Judas of Galilee and Theudas (Acts 5:36-37).  The ultimate thief, my study Bible says, is Satan, who spreads lies and heresies among the people of God, thus luring away both leaders and people.  Life means living in God's grace here on earth, while the more abundant life indicates the Kingdom to come.

 

 "I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.  But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.  The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.  I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.  As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep."  What does it mean that He is the good shepherd?  My study Bible says He reveals that it means He enters by the door (verse 2) -- that is, He fulfills the Scriptures concerning Himself; He knows and is known by the Father (verse 15); He knows His people personally, and therefore is known by them (verses 3, 14); and finally He gives His life for the sake of His people (verse 11), which is a direct prophecy of His coming Passion.  

"And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd."  My study Bible explains that other sheep are the Gentiles, who will be brought into the one flock with the Jews under the one shepherd.  Therefore, for instance, the Church transcends ethnic and racial lines.  From the beginning, it adds, it has been the teaching of the Church that there be one bishop serving a city (Canon 8 of I Nicea, AD 325), a principle affirmed in every generation.  St. Ignatius, writing to an early second century Church that held separate liturgies for Jewish and Gentile Christians, taught, "Be careful to observe a single Eucharist, for there is one Flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup of His Blood that makes us one, and one altar, just as there is one bishop. . . . This is in line with God's will."

"Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.  No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.  I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.  This command I have received from My Father."  Jesus states, I lay down My life:  My study Bible says that He makes it clear that His life-giving death will be voluntary.  He does nothing apart from the will of His Father.  As He laid down His life for us, we lay down our lives for Him and for the sake of others.  

Who is the Good Shepherd?  Let us consider what a good shepherd does.  In Jesus' words, the first requirement is that the Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.  Is it any wonder, then, that the Cross becomes the real centerpiece of the Gospels?  It is the first thing Jesus mentions after He calls Himself "the good shepherd."  Why should it be necessary for a good shepherd to lay down His life for the sheep?  To do so is, first of all, a great sign, a manifestation of the total love this particular Shepherd has for His sheep.  Of that we can be utterly assured.  It little matters -- or perhaps we should say, it matters not at all -- to which fold we belong as His sheep.  He has one flock and one flock only.  He cares totally for the sheep, in contrast to the hireling who flees in the face of danger to the flock.  Further on, Jesus teaches, "I know My sheep, and am known by My own."  He recognizes each one of those of His flock and knows them by name, and we who are of His flock know Him.  This is, again, a communication of love.  This kind of recognition is the way that love works, when you meet that rare someone whom you can trust among a whole field of people who vie for attention.  It is a kind of knowing that goes beyond words and beyond the surface, an unfolding of knowing and communion that stretches infinitely into the future.  This kind of love means that one is never through learning more about the other, and revealing more to that other.  It happens in the depth of a marriage or even a deep friendship, but it is mitigated by that infinite love of God, the Source of love and mediator of true communion.  This is what it means to be of one flock, to know to whom you belong, and by Whom you are loved and gathered in.  And Jesus reiterates, for a third time, "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again."  Not only does Christ love the sheep of His whole flock, and those to come whom we don't know, but His love is tied to the love of the Father -- who gives the command which Christ voluntarily follows to lay down His life for the sheep.  For this is not a heroic soldier, not a man defending his household, a firefighter or police officer or doctor or nurse who gives heroically to save others.  This is the command that guarantees that in this voluntary sacrifice to death, Christ will defeat death for all of us, so that we can follow.  He will lay down His life so that He can take it again, and break down that barrier of death for all of us, so that the flock can follow -- so that we can have life, and have it more abundantly.  Ultimately, we are those who know His voice, even when we know no other, even if we've never known one with this kind of love -- and He has already laid down His life for that love, for you who are of His flock, for when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.  He is the door of love, the key to the flock, the way for us to follow forward into life.  Even when it seems all other doors are closed, this is the one door you really need to find for that life, even life more abundantly.

One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see

 

 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight.  And they asked them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind?  How then does he now see?"  His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know.  He is of age; ask him.  He will speak for himself."  His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.  Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."  

 

So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, "Give God the glory!  We know that this Man is a sinner."  He answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know.  One thing I know:  that though I was blind, now I see."  Then they said to him again, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?"  He answered them, "I told you already, and you did not listen.  Why do you want to hear it again?  Do you also want to become His disciples?"  Then they reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are Moses' disciples.  We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from."  The man answered and said to them, "Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes!  Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.  Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind.  If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing."  They answered and said to him, "You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?"  And they cast him out.  

 

Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?"  He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?"  And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you."  Then he said, "Lord, I believe!"  And he worshiped Him.  

 

And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind."  Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, "Are we blind also?"  Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.'  Therefore your sin remains."

 

- John 9:18-41 

 

Our current setting for our readings is the Feast of Tabernacles, on the last great day of the Feast (the eighth day).  It is the final year of Christ's earthly life and ministry.  (See the readings beginning from Friday, February 4th for the occurrences at this feast).  Yesterday we read that as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"  Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.  I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.  And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent).  So he went and washed, and came back seeing.  Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?"   Some said, "This is he."  Others said, "He is like him."  He said, "I am he."   Therefore they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?"  He answered and said, "A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.'  So I went and washed, and I received sight."  Then they said to him, "Where is He?"  He said, "I do not know."  They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees.  Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.  Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight.  He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see."  Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath."  Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?"  And there was a division among them.  They said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?"  He said, "He is a prophet."

 

 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight.  And they asked them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind?  How then does he now see?"  His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know.  He is of age; ask him.  He will speak for himself."  His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.  Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."  Let us note one powerful effect of Christ's intervention and healing in this man's life; even his parents are so afraid of the religious authorities (in John's Gospel, the term the Jews is used as a political term for those in the religious leadership hostile to Christ).  His parents do not openly support him, and he must stand on his own.

 

So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, "Give God the glory!  We know that this Man is a sinner."  My study Bible comments that with Jesus not present, the Pharisees call Him a sinner, but earlier when He asked them face-to-face, "Which if you convicts Me of sin?" (John 8:46), they evaded the question.  Give God the glory! was an oath formula which was used before giving testimony.  Nonetheless, the healed man will give God glory (see verse 38).  The more he is pressed, my study Bible says, the more fervent his faith becomes, while the Pharisees lapse into deeper darkness.  

He answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know.  One thing I know:  that though I was blind, now I see."  My study Bible calls this healed man one who has become a model of Christian witness.  It says that many people do not bear witness to Christ because they fear they will be asked questions they cannot answer.  This man's answer to people much more educated that he provides the solution.  Let us observe carefully, that he admits what he does not know, but yet follows up with what he does know.  My study Bible names this formula, "That I don't know, but what I do know is this," as foundational to witnessing one's faith to others.  

Then they said to him again, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?"  He answered them, "I told you already, and you did not listen.  Why do you want to hear it again?  Do you also want to become His disciples?"  Then they reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are Moses' disciples.  We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from."  The man answered and said to them, "Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes!  Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.  Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind.  If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing."  They answered and said to him, "You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?"  And they cast him out.   Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?"  He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?"  And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you."  Then he said, "Lord, I believe!"  And he worshiped Him.  Once again we observe that the more this healed man is pressed, the more deep his understanding and faith grows.  The Pharisees, on the contrary, dig deeper into their darkness and blindness.  Unable to refute the healed man's logic or the truth of what he reveals, they resort to personal insult (see also John 8:48).  My study Bible notes that, having opened the blind man's eyes, Christ also opens his heart and illumines his spirit.  The man moves from knowing almost nothing about Christ (verse 25), through the conclusion that Jesus could not possibly be a sinner (verse 31), through confessing that Jesus must be from God (verse 33), to finally seeing Him as the divine Son of God and worshiping Him (verse 38).   Additionally, my study Bible notes of this passage that the unprecedented nature of opening the eyes of one who was born blind is a confirmation of Christ's divinity.  This was one of the prophesied signs of the coming Messiah (Isaiah 35:5, 42:7) and a prerogative belonging solely to God (Psalm 146:8).

 

 And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind."  Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, "Are we blind also?"  Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.'  Therefore your sin remains."  My study Bible comments that our Lord's coming brought judgment to he world, not because He came to judge (John 12:47-48), but because of humankind's accountability to Him.  Those who see and hear Him but do not believe, my study Bible adds, are judged by their own faithlessness.  Jesus' own words make clear that it is in their self-righteousness that sin remains; one truly seeking but unable to grasp a deeper truth is not condemned here, just as the disciples themselves remain "learners."  Christ judges by depths of the heart we don't know, not by appearance.

 

 We note the progress of the formerly blind man.  In the progress of his faith after his healing, he makes that journey that those of us touched by the healing power of Christ's love may have found for ourselves.  All too often, we are left with our experience, clinging to a truth that others would deny all around us, in one form or another.  Let us note here that even his parents, in some sense, desert and abandon him, leaving him on his own to fend for himself and testify for himself to the religious authorities, who eventually excommunicate him.  Jesus has taught about Himself, "Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law" (Luke 12:51-53).  In today's story, we have illustrated what it is to be in that vise, in which all is separated out, and yet there is a deeper truth borne of experience of God's love and healing to which we must cling.  Note how this is a part of the process of deepening faith.  No matter what comes, no matter the strife and the denial, even the abandonment of parents, even excommunication from temple and community, this healed man's faith is rooted in what he knows, because that experience of healing and love runs more deeply within us than what the world can offer in doubt, denial, and strife.  And this is the work of faith.  So this "illumined" man who has had his eyes open truly sees what so many do not, and he remains for us an example of testimony.  Straightforward and simple, he sticks to what he knows, and does not deny that there are things he doesn't know.  All of this is testimony to the truth of his life and who he is, and of his experience of Christ.  Let us live likewise and learn from his example for us -- he sees in many more ways than the healing of physical sight, this sixth sign in John's Gospel which manifests the presence of Christ and the Kingdom.

And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him

 

 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"  Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.  I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.  And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent).  So he went and washed, and came back seeing.  

 

Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?"   Some said, "This is he."  Others said, "He is like him."  He said, "I am he."   Therefore they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?"  He answered and said, "A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.'  So I went and washed, and I received sight."  Then they said to him, "Where is He?"  He said, "I do not know."  They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees.  Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.  Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight.  He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see."  Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath."  Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?"  And there was a division among them.  They said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?"  He said, "He is a prophet."

 

- John 9:1-17 

 

In our present cycle of readings, Jesus is attending the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), which commemorates the time that Israel wandered in the desert of Sinai.  It is an eight-day autumn festival with many different ceremonies; it is the last, great day of the Festival, and it is also the final year of Christ's earthly life.  On Saturday, we read that Jesus said, "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."  Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?"  Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.  And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.  Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."  Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon!  Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.'   Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead?  And the prophets are dead.  Who do You make Yourself out to be?"  Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.  It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.  Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him.  And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."  Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"  Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."  Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

 

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.  In today's reading occurs the healing which is the sixth sign of seven in John's Gospel.   In order to understand the significance properly within the context of the Scriptures, we should note that of all the miracle stories in the Bible, this is the only one in which the person was blind from birth (see verse 32).  In other words, and particularly in the context of the ancient world, his blindness was not due to illness or accident, something which had a potential for natural healing.  My study Bible says that the blind man is symbolic of all humanity:  all people need illumination by Christ, the Light of the world.  This sign is traditionally seen as an illustration of baptism, which is also called "holy illumination" in the Orthodox tradition.  As Easter (or Pascha) is the traditional day to receive catechumens into the Church, the lessons which follow Pascha reflect a baptismal theology; this passage concerning this sixth sign (John 9:1-38) are read on the sixth Sunday of Pascha, which is also called the Sunday of the Blind Man.

 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"  Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him."  Christ rejects the assumption (which was common in the ancient world) that all troubles and maladies are necessary the consequence of personal sin or even the sins of one's parents (see Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 5:9; contrast Ezekiel 18:19-21).  My study Bible comments that although suffering can be the direct result of personal sin, this is most certainly not always the case.  In this particular instance, this man's blindness provides the occasion for the works of God to be revealed -- it was not directly related to the man's personal sins.

"I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  My study Bible writes that the work that people do consists of faith (John 6:29), good deeds (John 5:29), and repentance (John 12:40).  The night that comes is a reference both to the time after a person's death and to the age to come, when there is no longer an opportunity to express faith.  According to St. John Chrysostom, on that day there will not be faith, but all will submit, whether willingly or unwillingly.  The unprecedented healing of the man born blind is a confirmation of Christ's claim that He is the light of the world (see also John 8:12).

 

When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay."  Here my study Bible cites St. Irenaeus, who sees in this mixture of clay and saliva a type of the creation of humanity from the earth (Genesis 2:7).  Christ reveals His divinity by restoring part of creation using the same material with which He created humanity in the beginning.  

And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent).  So he went and washed, and came back seeing.   My study Bible explains to us that the pool of Siloam was on the outskirts of Jerusalem,  which was a considerable distance from the temple.  From this pool water was taken for the rites which are connected with the Feast of Tabernacles which Jesus is attending.  On this final day of the Feast, water drawn from the pool of Siloam was taken to be mixed with wine and poured at the foot of the altar, both as purification and also in remembrance of the water which flowed from the rock struck by Moses (Exodus 17:1-7).  Siloam, translated, Sent, is a symbol of Christ, my study Bible says, the One who is sent by the Father (John 5:36, 20:21).  The healing of the blind man confirms Christ's claim to be the light of the world, and is a manifestation of that "light" which "illumined" his sight (John 8:12).  So also, making use of the pool of Siloam confirms and manifests that Christ is One sent to offer the true purification of the temple and those who worship in it, as well as "rivers of living water" (John 7:38), the gift of the Holy Spirit and the new life accompanying this gift.

Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?"   Some said, "This is he."  Others said, "He is like him."  He said, "I am he."   Therefore they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?"  He answered and said, "A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.'  So I went and washed, and I received sight."  Then they said to him, "Where is He?"  He said, "I do not know."  They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees.  Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.  Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight.  He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see."  Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath."  Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?"  And there was a division among them.  They said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?"  He said, "He is a prophet."  My study Bible comments that just as the Pharisees had ignored the healing of the paralytic and focused only on the perceived violation of the Sabbath (John 5:10-16), so here many of them cannot see the glory of God through their own prejudices.  Note that Christ's word and actions create a division among them (see Matthew 10:35, Luke 12:53, Hebrews 4:12).

In tomorrow's reading, the Gospel will delve further into the response of the healed blind man (and his parents) to the questioning of the religious leaders.  But for now, let us observe Jesus' work in the midst of this last, great day of the Feast of Tabernacles.  It is on this day that water was drawn from the pool of Siloam to commemorate the water flowing from the rock struck by Moses, and also as purification for the temple.  Jesus chooses this day to manifest these truths from the Old Testament through His own ministry as Incarnate Jesus.  It is yet one more way in which Christ came not to destroy, but to fulfill the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17); that is, the fullness of the promise of the God of the Old Testament Scriptures, the I AM (Exodus 3:14; John 8:58).  This sixth sign of the presence of the Kingdom (and the presence of the I AM) is a stupendous sign given of illumination, the sight given to a person who was born blind.  It is also a symbol of cleansing from the evil that permeates the world through no fault of our own, the "sins" into which we're born and the effects of which we inherit as children born into this world.  But more than that -- since Christ declared the blindness of this man is not the fault of any sin on the part of his parents or himself -- this healing is the occasion of revelation of the doctrine of Christ, the transformation and transfiguration promised through the Cross.  That is, it is a sign of the power of God not simply to separate good and evil, and to teach us to do good, but of the power of the ministry of this New Covenant in Christ to transform even what is "evil" for the salvation of the world.  If we but think for a moment about the Crucifixion itself, we can see the absolute and starkly startling idea that the horrors of Roman crucifixion, meted out to the most lowly among the criminals, could be transformed and transfigured in Christ to become a symbol of His saving power "for the life of the world" (see John 3:14-17, 6:51).  Christ, as manifestation and fulfillment of the promises of the Old Covenant, now does one better in this healing of the man blind from birth.  He takes the occasion of affliction, of evil, and uses is -- and proclaims it -- as an occasion for which the works of God should be revealed.  In this sense, an affliction or evil is transformed, transfigured through the healing power of Christ, into a manifestation of the glory of God.  Through his affliction, the sadness of his blindness from birth, this man becomes not only healed and saved in Christ, but an occasion for the world to know the glory of God and the ways that Christ has come to work in the world, not simply to battle against evil, but to transfigure its very effects among us.  He will transfigure death to Resurrection in the greatest healing power ever conceived and made manifest; that power of God not only rebukes death, but is capable of using even death to defeat death and to offer us eternal life.  This is a far greater power than the world has conceived or considered, and His power to transform and transfigure the evil in our own lives continue to work for us when we put our faith in Him and in His road for our lives.  In this perspective, even the occasions which cause us sorrow and give us loss can be transfigured into occasions for the glory of God.  They may not seem like occasions for rejoicing, such as the affliction of blindness on this man from birth.  But when we follow our faith, we may find, as countless others have done as well, a kind of rebirth into a life we didn't expect, in which there are precious things of value to be found despite our losses and disappointments and plans and desires for life.  An unfortunate illness may be turned into an occasion for heroism and love, of finding strengths or saving help from others we could not have expected, maybe even from ourselves in learning to care for another.  The poverty of one person may be turned into an occasion for charity and love on the part of another, extending themselves through faith in God's goodness and the light that Christ has brought for us.  One injustice may open our eyes to help others; when coupled and worked through the love of God this becomes a transfiguring love in us, and one that expands our capacity for charity, strength, and giving gifts to others.  Saints are born from such opportunities and such faith applied so that occasions of affliction become opportunities for the glory of God, that the works of God should be revealed in them.  St. Philothei of Athens gave her money and her love to women enslaved and put into harems, establishing monasteries where women could be trained for other work or sell their own goods; she ransomed and hid those who were former slaves, and was martyred by being beaten for doing so.  Maria Skoptsova, known as Mother Maria, or St. Maria of Paris, took in Jewish refugees during the Nazi Occupation as part of her ministry to the poor, for which she was eventually killed on Holy Saturday in Ravensbrook Concentration Camp.  One may be tempted to say that one doesn't need Christ for such works, but I would reply that to do so is to vastly underestimate our need for the power of love and faith, and the strength, resilience, and creativity found in that road of faith in Christ.   Moreover, true discernment is needed for such works in those circumstances, and the humility of our calling.  These are just two examples out of a world and a history of those acting of love for Christ, even among circumstances that are evil.   A world afflicted and permeated by evil needed a Savior who would not merely proclaim the good, but One who could transfigure and transform and work even through what is evil.  We needed a Savior who offers us His light so that we might follow Him in reflecting that light and doing the same works of faith.  We might not be able to effect miraculous healings, but our whole lives can be transformed and transfigured by His love, so that by His light we see where love can shine in a dark world, where tragedy can be occasion for the triumph of love.

 

 

If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing

 

"He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."  Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?"  Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.  And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.  Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."  Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon!  Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.'   Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead?  And the prophets are dead.  Who do You make Yourself out to be?"  

 

Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.  It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.  Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him.  And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."  Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"  Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."  Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

 

- John 8:47-59 

 

We are reading through the events at the Feast of Tabernacles, an eight-day autumn festival; this is the final year of Christ's earthly life.  It is the last, great day of the Feast, and Jesus is disputing in the temple with the Pharisees, who seek to seize Him.  In yesterday's reading, they answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone.  How can You say, 'You will be made free'?"  Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.  I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.  I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father."  They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father."  Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.  But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God.  Abraham did not do this.  You do the deeds of your father."  Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father -- God."  Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.  Why do you not understand My speech?  Because you are not able to listen to My word.  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.  But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.  Which of you convicts Me of sin?  And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?  He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God." 

"He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."  Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?"  Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.  And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.  Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."  Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon!  Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.'   Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead?  And the prophets are dead.  Who do You make Yourself out to be?"  In yesterday's reading (see above), Jesus contrasted the lies of the devil with the truth of God that He is offering.  Repeatedly, and constantly, Jesus will return to the love of God the Father which characterizes His own relationship to the Father who sent Him, with the work of the devil, whom He has called a liar and a murderer.  Here, He makes it clear that they have no love for God but serve that which is opposed to God in their desire to murder Him, and to deal with Him and His teachings unjustly, and through motivations which are aside from the love of God and the humility required to truly serve God, and not one's "own glory.".  While the Pharisees have been unable to defeat Him through logic or truth, these enemies resort to personal insult (see also John 9:34, the response to the healed blind man).  

Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.  It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.  Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him.  And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."   Jesus again returns to the theme of relationship with the Father, and also the patriarch Abraham, who was capable of receiving truth through the love of God, and with whom He contrasts these religious leaders who now seek to put Him to death.  The theme of honor is essential, because it also asks us the question about what we honor first in our hearts; Christ expresses the humility of the love of His Father, who also honors Christ.

 

Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"  Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."  Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.  I AM (Greek ego eimi/εγω ειμι) is the divine Name of God in the Old Testament, which was first revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:13-15).  This is a clear and explicit reference to that Scripture, and is significant in John's Gospel.  My study Bible says that to the Jews, this was a direct, explicit, and unmistakable claim to perfect equality with God, which is made clear by their response (see also Mark 14:62-64).  It adds also that John places special emphasis on the use of this Name in order to clearly reveal Christ as God.  This divine claim illuminates Christ's authority even over death, which is a power that belongs only to God the Father.

Jesus again continues to emphasize His closeness to the Father.  He also teaches us about humility, when He says, "I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.  And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges . . .."  This is a great emphasis in today's reading, as He adds later, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.  It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God."  So what Jesus is doing, aside from presenting His arguments and His doctrine, even His identity, to the religious leaders, is modeling for us the humility that He would also ask of us.  Can we be humble enough to seek the honor of God in our lives?  Can we, who profess to be believers and followers of Christ, put aside our own aspirations and desires in order to "seek first the kingdom of God" (Matthew 6:33)?  What does it mean not to seek our own honor or glory, but rather that of God?  When we're in the midst of a squabble, or a tough decision, or when we face great loss in some sense, can we put aside whatever it is our concern, no matter how great or important, and then seek God's will for ourselves, God's way through a storm or difficulty, God's much greater perspective?  Jesus says something really important and relevant when He says He doesn't seek His own glory, and adds to that "there is One who seeks and judges."  This is because if we seek the glory of the One who seeks and judges, then we're seeking truth, the answers and the solution to whatever it is we're in the middle of, the questions we have, the direction we need.  In David's great psalm of penitence to God, he says, "Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight, that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge" (Psalm 51:4).  We take this to mean the same thing Jesus asserts here, that there is one Judge, and the ultimately there is only One whose reality is paramount and truly matters in our lives and choices.   Everything else pales by comparison, including the honor, glory, and praise we might receive from other people (see John 12:42-43).   So even Christ, who is claiming for Himself an incredible honorable place by naming Himself the I AM in today's reading, is practicing a deeply humble life, because His honor, and His identity, come from honoring God the Father first, and not from seeking His own glory.  He sets Himself as our example of humility, even as He declares His divine origin to the religious rulers -- even as He makes Himself equal with God.  When we can wrap our minds around this mind-boggling understanding, then we will also come to know its great significance for us.  For He does not ask of us that which He does not do Himself in His humanity.  He takes all that He is, all that He declares, all that He understands, from God the Father whose glory He seeks, and not His own.  So we may do likewise, and find ourselves.  We cannot claim the name I AM, but He has a place for each of us which we may find by honoring God first (John 14:2).

 

 

Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever

 

 They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone.  How can You say, 'You will be made free'?"  Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

"I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.  I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father."  They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father."  Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.  But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God.  Abraham did not do this.  You do the deeds of your father."  Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father -- God."  Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.  Why do you not understand My speech?  Because you are not able to listen to My word.  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.  But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.  Which of you convicts Me of sin?  And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?  He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."

 

- John 8:33-47 

 

In our present readings, Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles, and it is the last, great day of the Feast, the eighth day.  Many images Jesus uses are taken from the rituals of this festival.  It is the final year of Jesus' life.  Yesterday we read that Jesus said to the Pharisees again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you  that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.  Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.  Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."   

They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone.  How can You say, 'You will be made free'?"  Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."   The Pharisees argue against Christ's teaching, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (see yesterday's reading, above).  When Jesus refers to "a son" He is indicating an heir of a house.   He contrasts this with a slave, which He describes as the condition of one who regularly engages in sin; that is, one who serves -- inadvertently or not --  that which is against God the Father.  But as "Son" of the Father, Christ shows us the way to the Father, the way to become an heir in God's house by adoption, and therefore free.

"I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.  I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father."  They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father."  Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.  But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God.  Abraham did not do this.  You do the deeds of your father."  My study Bible explains that to be a child of Abraham, it is not enough to be simply related by blood; rather, Abraham's true children share his faith and virtue (Luke 3:8).  It says that St. John Chrysostom teaches that our Lord wanted to detach the Jews from racial pride and to teach them no longer to place their hope of salvation in being of the race of Abraham's children by nature, but to come to faith by their own free will.  Their idea that being a descendant of Abraham was enough for salvation was enough for salvation was the very thing that prevented them from coming to Christ.  When Christ says, "You do the deeds of your father," He is referring to the evil one, the father of sin, as they seek to kill Him unjustly.

Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father -- God."  Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me."  Proceeded, as my study Bible explains it, refers not to the Son coming eternally from the Father, but rather in this instance to Christ being sent from the Father to His Incarnation on earth.

"Why do you not understand My speech?  Because you are not able to listen to My word.  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.  But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.  Which of you convicts Me of sin?  And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?  He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."   My study Bible explains that just as being a child of Abraham is based on sharing Abraham's attributes, these who reject Him share the same attributes as the devil (in particular, a hatred for truth), and thus He says their father is the devil.    The desires of the devil are to destroy the word and message of the Son, but especially to deny the Father's Kingdom in this world.  Note that Jesus speaks of the attributes of the devil, that he was a murderer from the beginning, and that he is a liar and the father of lies.

If we look at aspects of the demonic that appear in the Gospels, we can see more clearly what Jesus seems to be getting at in these final verses.  Where there are examples of the demonic at work, there is affliction.  We can look at the man who called Himself Legion (Mark 5:9, Luke 8:30), as he was afflicted by a legion of demons, uncontrollable, in complete disorder, and living among the tombs, unable to live in community.  We can look at the child who is brought to Christ by his father, of whom it is said that the boy is often thrown into the fire and into the water (Matthew 17:15).  When we look at demonic activity as it appears to us in Scripture, it is a picture of cruelty, of that which seeks to oppress and afflict human beings.  The word for "evil" or "the evil one" in Greek has many nuances, but perhaps the most significant one is that it also means "pain."  This would apply to all kinds of pain in life, including oppressive toil.  In today's reading, Jesus contrasts the murderous impulse and the love of lies of the devil with the truth and freedom that He is offering.  When Jesus says that whoever commits sin is a slave of sin, He's again describing the oppressive nature of evil and in particular of the devil, who has no love for human beings, and therefore subjects them to a kind of slavery.  While these are images of spiritual realities, we don't need literally to see demons and devils at work in order to understand the nature of sin and affliction in this sense.  We have terrible examples all around us of the affliction of addiction, of drugs and alcohol which seem to offer people a panacea or escape from pain, but simply work to enslave people in systematic habits that make life so much worse in so many ways, a destruction that reaches into all kinds of areas of life and into relationships with loved ones, friends, acquaintances, and colleagues.   There are connections to the destruction of family life, to violence and domestic abuse, that have been documented for so long in our societies.  If we want to look at criminal life, we can see the merciless environment created for so many.  I was once told by a psychologist who professed atheism that pernicious self-destructive patterns of thought really do work "like demons" within people.   Jesus ties in lies and the love of lies with murder here in today's reading, and this is something important to consider.  Everything is rooted in a love of truth in our hearts, a willingness to start first with the love of God which teaches us to hold onto truth.  He offers us all the dignity of that love in our hearts, the capacity to raise ourselves above whatever forms of "slavery" we might see around ourselves (or that we'd be tempted to), and live with that knowledge that we are also children by adoption, we can live in God's house of love and truth, where we are beloved and nurtured to be something other than slaves.   This applies to all human beings, but it starts with the humility to love God first, to seek truth, and to hold Christ's love and word dear to our hearts.  He teaches us to abide in His word, for that is the road we need.  He offers us a choice for truth and freedom, and the faith and strength that come with it from God who is love, our true Father.