³³They answered him, ‘We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, “You will be made free”?’

34 Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.³⁵The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there for ever.³⁶So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.³⁷I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you look for an opportunity to kill me, because there is no place in you for my word.³⁸I declare what I have seen in the Father’s presence; as for you, you should do what you have heard from the Father.’^*<!– 39 –>

Jesus and Abraham

39 They answered him, ‘Abraham is our father.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing^* what Abraham did,⁴⁰but now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did.⁴¹You are indeed doing what your father does.’ They said to him, ‘We are not illegitimate children; we have one father, God himself.’⁴²Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me.⁴³Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot accept my word.⁴⁴You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.⁴⁵But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.⁴⁶Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?⁴⁷Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God.’

Christ of the poor, God's dwelling on earth

The unifying theme in today’s readings is “The house (hold) of God”. In a number of blogs I have discussed what I call “oikos” theology. Oikos is the Greek word for house or household which lies behind our English words ecology, economy and ecumenical. In both testaments of the Christian bible the image of God’s dwelling place is a major part of of faith. God is said to dwell in shrines, in the ark of the covenenant, in the temple, in his people; and on the other hand God is a dwelling place for his people. In the New Ttestament Jesus himself is often depicted as God’s dwelling place, and in him God comes to dwell with his people. Only some of “his people” don’t want him. This raises the issue of the identity of God’s people: in the Old Testament Israel as a people is God’s Son; in the New, Jesus is God’s unique Son and those who receive him are children of God. Summing up we can say that those in whom God dwells, and who dwell in God’s household, are God’s children. Jacob is dazzled by his vision of God’s dwelling which he calls “Beth-el” (house of God) but he isn’t satisfied with a God who lives in a shrine. Rather he asks this God to travel with him on his journey and to bless him, that is, to give him a happy and succssful life. His idea of a God who dwells with him is of One who looks after his interests. He thinks he can catch God for his own purposes, whereas the story will show God catching Jacob for His purpose.

In John’s gospel Jesus first of all deals with the claim of the Jewish leaders to be children of Abraham. Not so, he says, because you don’t trust God’s word as Abraham did. Well, they say, we’re actually children of God: we’re Israel. Not so, he says, because you don’t recognise his unique son in whom God dwells. you are not part of God’s household. In fact you belong to the devil’s household and share his murderous nature.

This is a very blunt and decisive claim: the children of God will recognise Jesus as God’s son . Is it true?

1. We have to be sure they can see Jesus, that is, the real Jesus, not the distorted image of him sometimes given by Christians who have “adjusted” Jesus to represent their way of life or their politics.

2. His true image is in the Scriptures, especially the New Testament, especially the Gospels; and in the witness of those who live Christlike lives.

3. Those who are real children of God whatever their religion have no difficulty in recognising the real Jesus as God’s son. They may not have orthodox Christian beliefs about him, but that’s less important than being able to see that God dwells in him and invites all people into God’s household.