Genesis 17:3-9
John 8:51-59
Covenant of Life
God has chosen Abraham to make known his love and ways to all people. In this process God makes a covenant with Abraham today. A Covenant is not a contract (in which both two parties are included) because in a contract which is legally not binding but not a moral construct. A covenant is morally binding, breaking it, is considered as betrayal of trust.
Here in today’s reading the almighty makes a covenant between Him and Abraham.
On the part of God:
God promises that He will be his God forever and to all his long line of descendants.
God promises that He will bless with innumerable descendants in his family tree(many nations will arise from him)
God promises to bless abundantly with the land, fruitful and prosperity in life, family, work and in society.
God’s promises are eternal.
On the part of Abraham and his descendants:
A change of name, which signifies a change of his identity and destiny in God
They have to keep the commandments
They have to construct an allegiance and sincere relationship with their one and only God.
Today in the Gospel, as Jesus and jews continue conversing,
He says, "Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death." The jews understood in material ways, but Jesus speaks of spiritual death.
And also he tells them that they do not know God, he points out that they are disconnected from the relationship with God rather they are just sitting on the privilege of covenant.
He then says, that before Abraham, I am. - manifests His eternity
The jews really thought Jesus was possessed and scoffed at his words without even trying to understand him and his words and their profound meaning. Today even non-believers might feel the same way especially about today’s words without even giving time to understand it. That’s why many are on the wrong path, on the path of death which is a consequence of sin.
God assures Abraham, if he and his descendants are faithful and follow his words and commandments, God will protect them, God will be with them. It is established on trust and strengthened in trust and is to be continued in trust today as we share the covenant. If we are faithful God will continue to shower his unconditional blessings for he remembers his promise forever.
Jesus assures eternal life that "Whoever keeps my word will never taste death." We are reminded that if we are faithful to keep his words with his love, guidance and wisdom we will be sharing an everlasting life with God, long after our physical death on this earth.
It is a great spiritual time for us to eradicate all forms of evils from our lives, of our infidelity, betrayal, disconnectedness, dissatisfaction and complaints against God through the practice of learning and understanding his word and applying it to one's life. Let us pray for this grace.
Then the people promised Joshua, “We will serve the LORD, our God, and will listen to his voice.” (Joshua 24:24)
“No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.(Mathew 6:24)
Fr. Jayaraju Manthena OCD
