Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Thursday, February 27, 2014 Read John 8:48-59 Jesus has accused the Jews (religious leaders) of being children of the devil. They fire right back accusing Jesus of being possessed by a demon. They even throw the Samaritan slur at Jesus. We need to recall the brutal hatred between Jews and Samaritans. To call someone a Samaritan was about as low as a Jew could go. The battle of words rages on. When Jesus tells them that whoever believes in him will never taste death, the religious leaders become even more convinced that Jesus is possessed by a demon. Abraham died. Who does Jesus think he is? When Jesus tells them that Abraham rejoiced to see the day of Jesus, in typical fashion, they misunderstand. Since they know that Jesus is less than fifty years old how can Abraham possibly have seen Jesus? And now the whole controversy comes to a head. Jesus makes another bold claim. The words, as well as others in the whole section are highlighted by Jesus’ use of the phrase, “Very truly, I tell you …” We have met that phrase earlier and know it a way in which John want to alert his readers that what is about to be said is critically important. Jesus’ claim is once again that he is none other than the “I am” of the OT. His words are, “Before Abraham was, I am.” Appropriately this time the English translation leaves off the usual “he” that has been inserted at other times. English reading does not require it. The claim of Jesus that he is “I am” leads to an attempt to stone him. Stoning is the appropriate punishment for blasphemers. While no accusation of blasphemy is vocally spoken it is what lies behind the attempted stoning. But they will not succeed. Jesus “hour” has not yet come. And so John tells us Jesus “hid” himself and went out of the Temple. Just exactly what John means by the word “hid” is ambiguous. Perhaps we need not make much effort to explain it. The point is that Jesus will not meet his death until the appropriate “hour” the time of his own choosing. John is consistent in portraying Jesus as being in control. Jesus controls his destiny. The whole scene has turned into an ugly one. Those who we are told “believed” suddenly become violent opponents – children of the devil. There is not much to rejoice about in this story. Ugly words are hard to take back. Animosity between Jews and Christians lives even today. John reflects and time of deep woundedness and harsh division between believers in Jesus and those who do not believe. Such woundedness reflects a sad time of pain and hurt. The irony in all of it is that, in the earliest years of the Christian movement both Christians and non-believers in Jesus were Jews. But sometimes internal battles within the family can be the worst. As we reflect upon this text in our own time, we need to careful not to simply perpetuate hostility. Can there be constructive dialog between Christians and Jews? Difficult as that dialog is we can hope that more constructive conversation might emerge.