by Dr. Judy Stack
Jesus said, “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 would 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.
John 8:51–59
Knowing who you are is a very powerful thing. Have you ever met a person like that? A person who needed to prove nothing to you or anyone else because they just knew who they were. Jesus was that kind of person. He did not need to glorify himself. He was, we might say today, grounded.
It is a kind of humility—but one that others sometimes find threatening. Yet in the midst of opposition and slander, he was able to speak truth, even though it brought threats of violence. In a world where self-promotion and insecure self-justification are the norm, may Jesus be so formed in us that we can bring a different spirit, one grounded in his promise that we will never taste death.
Blue Gramma – Bouteloua gracilis
These photographs, shared each day during Lent, capture the beauty of plants native to the Upper Midwest. As we spend time in Lenten reflection, these images of new life can remind us daily of our calling to be caretakers of God’s Creation.
Photo by Jo Anna Hebberger
