Deus Abraham | God of Abraham

"I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead, but of the living." - Mark 12: 26-27

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I begin this reflection with a letter of SJ Cristobal Fones's song "Tu modo" (In English "Your way") Cristobal Fones is a Jesuit priest. "The way you treat others, I let myself be questioned by your tenderness. Your way of loving moves us to love.  Your treatment is like crystalline water that cleanses and accompanies walking. Jesus, teach me your way of making the other feel more human, that your steps are my steps, my way of proceeding."

In this passage (Mark 12:18-17), I find the conviction of Jesus about his defense of the truth, of brotherhood and universal character of the faith. 

Two phrases are the most important for me in the answer of Jesus to the Sadducees question about the resurrection: "..have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead, but of the living."

In a tenderly way with such love, Jesus says: God is the God of everyone.  The Love is the Love of everyone. Sometimes we do some judgments over our brothers and sisters. Even about what God should think about others according to our human criteria and concerns. But God does not think in the same way like our human limitations. God is a God of everyone and His Pure Love is an Universal Love.

Sometime we take in a position like the Sadducees and we ask questions to God because we don't understand "the way" to proceed to God. When we need to know how to proceed about anything, the answer always will be The Love. 

It is a call to respect the diversity in our church and to promote the inclusion, because all are called to live in the Kingdom of God. All are sinners in many ways. We all have been the black sheep in one moment of our lives. Is great to be a black sheep, a lost sheep, the coin of little value to human eyes, because God embraces, shelters and loves His sons and daughters in a very special way, regardless of their condition. For the sinner He even throws a celebration. We need to respect each others and love each others.

Again, "God is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob". The God of everyone.  Let's not pigeonhole God's criteria in mundane judgments. Let's not see reality at ground level of our prejudices, beyond the mundane is the transcendent. Let us not act or think like whitewashed sepulchral.

Finally, the last words of Jesus's answer: "He is not the God of the dead, but of the living". God always make the things new, God always renews, reinvents. We should always learn to reinvent ourselves, give new meaning to each experience of our lives, good or bad, happy or sad, easy or difficult. Look to the eternal, celebrate and honor life in the light of the Word of Our Love. 

Reflection on Mark 12:18-27  by Carolina Jimenez