Daily Devotion for Thursday 12th June 2025
St John 8: 39 – 59
They answered him, ‘Abraham is our father.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing what Abraham did, but now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are indeed doing what your father does.’ They said to him, ‘We are not illegitimate children; we have one father, God himself.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot accept my word. You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God.’ The Jews answered him, ‘Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?’ Jesus answered, ‘I do not have a demon; but I honour my Father, and you dishonour me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and he is the judge. Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.’ The Jews said to him, ‘Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets; yet you say, “Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.” Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, “He is our God”, though you do not know him. But I know him; if I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word. Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; 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, ‘Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.’ So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
Reflection
Reading this passage – another unfamiliar one to most of us – we’re tempted to wonder if international negotiations are ever this bad! Jesus told his hearers the devil was their father and they did not truly follow in Abraham’s footsteps. In their turn, Jesus’ hearers told him that he was a demon-possessed Samaritan. They did not mean this to be a complement! Yet, in the middle of this argument there’s a deep, and dangerous, truth Before Abraham was, I am! The use of “I am” was provocative – it’s the translation of the divine, yet unspoken, name. “I am who I am” was God’s answer to an inquisitive Moses. Worse, this youngster implied he knew Abraham and Abraham’s responses. No wonder the crowd turned on Jesus seeking his death – he had, after all, just claimed to be (maybe) equal to or (maybe) to be God’s own self. (The crowd were too angry to explore further.)
We live in an age where anger seems dominant. Social Media engines are programmed to highlight divisive, angry content as it attracts more viewers (meaning advertising revenue will increase.) Our politics are more and more polarised and binary answers are sought to complex multi-layered questions. Interim guidance on interpreting the Supreme Court’s ruling on the meaning of sex in the UK Equality Act has been swift and has resulted in much anger. Nuanced discussion, balancing the needs and rights of all those with protected characteristics, seems to be too difficult in an angry age and the passage reminds us what angry crowds can do.
In the midst of anger Jesus told truth; a truth that provoked more anger yet a truth he lived by. In our ever more angry world we need to find ways to tell the truth, to protect hard won rights, and to meet anger and fear with love and grace.
Prayer
Help us, Good Lord,
to deal with the anger of our age,
to return hate with love,
to expose and proclaim truth with grace,
and to never be satisfied with simplistic answers
to complex problems.
Amen.