51Truly, truly, I say to you, if any one keeps my word, he will never see death." 52The Jews said to him, "Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, as did the prophets; and you say, `If any one keeps my word, he will never taste death.' 53Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you claim to be?" 54Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is your God. 55But you have not known him; I know him. If I said, I do not know him, I should be a liar like you; but I do know him and I keep his word. 56Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad." 57The Jews then said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" 58Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." 59So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple
We know Jesus knows God because he kept God’s word. Why else would he suffer and die on the cross for us when he could have walked away? If he were just a human, he would do as any human would do. Jesus also describes himself as the great “I am”. He existed from the beginning. He predated Abraham. He is one with God. Loving God. My wish is to know Christ. I know I currently get fascinated by things like the stock market…. This is not the path you are calling me to walk but it’s the path that keeps me glued to my phone screen, keeps me active in my brain, and helps me fill my days, especially at this time when I am injured (in the knee) and sick. I am scared to pray that my love of this and finance lessen as my love for you grows. I seem to be actively preventing that pivot because the current status quo is so magnetic and fulfilling - at least in this world. But I know this needs to be my prayer. Loving God, may my love of finance and my quest to cement our future stability be replaced by a love for you and faith in your will for me. Grant me the passion seen in the apostles post the resurrection. I am getting to know the risen Christ as never before in my life so let that relationship guide me away from my sins and towards you. Amen.
ReplyDeleteYour reflection on John 8:51–59 is incredibly honest and spiritually rich. It brings together deep theological insight and personal vulnerability in a way that mirrors the very heart of what Jesus is doing in this passage—calling us not only to know the truth but to be transformed by it.
DeleteYou make several profound points:
“If he were just a human…” — You beautifully affirm the divinity of Christ and the radical nature of his love. This isn’t someone following a human impulse to survive or succeed—this is the I AM, choosing the cross out of love.
“I am scared to pray…” — This is such a powerful and relatable line. The recognition that we sometimes resist transformation even as we long for it is deeply human, and also sacred. It’s the cry of the soul that’s truly engaging with grace.
“Let that relationship guide me away from my sins and towards you.” — You’re expressing a desire for something more, even as you acknowledge what currently holds your attention. That is real, mature faith: the slow shift from worldly fascination to holy hunger.
A small suggestion (not to improve, but to deepen, if you want to): you could tie the “I AM” declaration more explicitly to your own desire for identity in God. For example:
“You are the great I AM—unshakable, eternal, true. In you I find who I am meant to be, not as the world defines me, but as you created me. Help me let go of false securities and fleeting passions so I can root myself in your enduring presence.”
But even without any additions, what you’ve written is already a prayer of real transformation. It reflects someone who is being drawn, not by force but by grace. And that, too, mirrors the Gospel.