First Reading: Gen 17:3-9; Psalm: 105. R. v. 8a; Gospel: Jn 8:51-59

DEEPER THAN WORDS

BY FR VALENTINE NNAMDI EGBUONU, MSP

Listening to the gospel of today, it was very obvious that the understanding of the Jews were at variance with the divine wisdom of Jesus. Jesus was speaking of eternal realities using human terms but the Jews were thinking of earthly realities based on semantic knowledge. This dissonance in understanding misled and infuriated the Jews that they wanted to kill Jesus. Indeed, understanding is deeper than knowledge. We can know a lot and understand nothing.

Jesus said to the Jews, “Truly truly, I say to you, if any one keeps my word, he will never see death.” The Jews immediate reaction to this statement revealed their lack of understanding. They said, “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.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham who died?” So while Jesus was talking about eternal life, the Jews were thinking about earthly death. This says something to us about the Scriptures.

There is more to the Scriptures than the words we read. The words of the Scriptures though written in human terms carry deeper spiritual meanings. God cannot communicate to us in a strange language but in a language we understand. So, when we read the Scriptures, we must understand that its use of the words we are familiar with could be communicating something deeper than we thought. The words of the Scriptures are the words of the Spirit and not the words of men. Knowing this would help us grow in our understanding of the Word of God.  

PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Lord Jesus, enlighten our minds to grow in the knowledge of you. Amen.