From the Pastor’s desk— April 28, 2024
In the readings of the past few weeks we have heardJesus say, “I am the Bread of Life,” “I am the Good Shepherd”, “I am the gate,” “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” and now today,” I am the vine…” Every one of these statements has one thing in common, Jesus’ proclaiming “I am…” It is not simply Jesus describing Himself as we would describe our professions, I am a carpenter or I am a fisherman, “I am” is a message all by itself.
In saying “I am,” Jesus is repeating the words of His Father in Exodus chapter 3 verse 7 “I am who am.” By using words only God the Father had used of Himself, Jesus is equating Himself with the Father. This is why we hear time and time again the listeners reacting strongly against Jesus using this statement, only the Father can use these words. We can never forget the Israelites were monotheistic (those who believed in one God) and so they cannot understand if God is one, how can Jesus also use this phrase. In short, for them, this is more than scandalous, this is blasphemy and the cornerstone why they killed Him as they believed He profaned the name of God.
By using the verb, “I am,” God (Father and Son) says as much as you can about Himself in just two words. “I am” expresses identity in a way that captures all time with its eternal focus on the present. “I am” also includes all states of being (which is the study of metaphysics). God and Jesus are always present in “I am” as well as they are always in an active state of being.
The other beauty of this verb is that not only can it speak of what one does as the source of all being but also Jesus expresses who He is in relation to God and with the following words (the Way, the Truth, and the Life). He also expresses who He is for us (Bread of Life, Good Shepherd, and vine.) This is the true beauty of
“I am” and the beauty of God. “I am” allows Jesus to do something He does not do when He speaks of the Kingdom of Heaven. There He says the “Kingdom of Heaven is like…” but here He says fully who He is. He does not say He “is like” a vine, He “is” the vine.
No other verb can handle the dynamism of God like the verb, “I am.” In every statement, No words can fully capture who God is, but of any word that we have, “I am” does more than all our other words put together and certainly why God chose it.
Parochial administrator
With a heart for Mission,
Fr. Ray