Jesus Said, Very Truly, I Tell You, Whoever Keeps My Word Will Never See Death

Dawn Booth – Lent Reflection – St. Columba’s Church -- April 2, 2009

For someone who has spent some time taking improv classes in the last 12 months, these readings were compelling. As you may know, in improv, the director or a student gives the actors at-hand a scene to act out like “you’re in the Amazon” and the actors start the sceneby using their skills and imagination to create a real play reacting to each other along the way. It’s a very challenging form of art and I like it. It keeps you in the “now.”

So, when I read the readings for today, especially, the New Testament reading, my mind immediately went into “acting” mode. If the director had said, you’re in Israelin the time of Jesus, would I get to this scene with other actors? Who would I be in the scene? As I pondered this question (who would I be), my mind went to Jesus.

[In acting mode] If you keep my word, you won’t know death. I don’t need to glorify myself, my Father will glorify me. You don’t know God. If I said I didn’t know my Father, I’d be a liar like you. Your father, Abraham, rejoiced when he saw my day. I know him. I know him becausebefore Abraham was, “I am.”

There is quite a lot covered here: Death, God the Father, Jesus the Son, the Jews’ relationship with God, Jesus’ relationship with Abraham, Jesus’ relationship with time. Jesus tells the Jews who were with Him, I’m God’s Son and your father Abraham was glad to see my day. What could this have possibly meant to them? Clearly, Jesus was referring to something new and different. What could this have meant about the Jews’ inheritance from God?It’s not a surprise to see resistance, disbelief, and mistrust.

It’s interesting to me that the Jews didn’t react to Jesus’ proclamation about death with a direct question. Someone could have asked, “How does that work – we won’t die?” My improv director would correct me if I were in the scene. He would say, “Dawn, react, don’t ask questions!” The Jews who were with Jesus ask Him whether He ranks higher than Abraham. Abraham is their frame of reference – not their reactions, not their feelings. Jesus is talking about death and they want to know about hierarchy.What is it about the subject of death that people skirt it so effectively, even today?So, Jesus, being Himself, tells them about hierarchy and doesn’t lose sight of the concepts of death and time in the process. He says, “Abraham knew about me before I got here and he knows I’m here now. Before Abraham existed, I Am.” That “I Am” is reminiscent of Moses’ discussions with God, who tells Moses to tell the Israelites “I Am has sent me to you”. Jesus is telling the Jews who were with Him that Abraham is part of a much larger picture and that Jesus is part of God. The Jews find this unbearable. They raise stones to throw at Him, amob like form of violent resistance. A mob like form of resistance showing a reaction that may not have been true. And He hid Himself and departed from the Temple.