I AM

I AM – more important than I DO

Fifth Sunday of Easter, May 6, 2012
Acts 9:26-31     1 John 3:18-24   John 15:1-8

First reading from Acts

When Saul arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles, and he reported to them how he had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. He moved about freely with them in Jerusalem, and spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord. He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists, but they tried to kill him. And when the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him on his way to Tarsus.

The Church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the help of the Holy Spirit it grew in numbers.

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Alleluia, alleluia.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Glory to you, Lord.

“I am the true vine.”

Jesus said to his disciples: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine pruner. He lops off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will bear more fruit. You must go on growing in me, and I will grow in you. For just as the branch cannot bear any fruit unless it shares the life of the vine, so you can produce nothing unless you go on growing in me. Yes, I am the true vine, you are the branches. Whoever lives in me, with me in him, bears much fruit. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask what you will and you shall get it. It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Introduction

The seven great I AMs of Jesus

Jesus does not tell us what He did; He doesn’t say:

“I changed water into wine.” (Jn. 2: 1-12)

“I healed the sick son of a government official.” (Jn. 4:46-54)

“I cured a man who was sick for 38 years.” (Jn.5:1-17)

“I fed 5000 hungry people with 5 loaves and 2 fish.” (Jn. 6:1-13) 

“I gave sight to a blind man.” (Jn. 9:1-41)

“I raised Lazarus from the dead.” (Jn. 11:1-45)

“I restored the cut-off ear of Malchus, the High Priest’s slave.’ (Jn. 18:10)

Rather, Jesus tells us what He is:

"I AM the bread of life." (Jn. 6:35, 48, 51)

"I AM the light of the world." (Jn. 8:12.

"I AM the door of the sheep."(Jn. 10:7, 9)

"I AM the good shepherd." (Jn. 10:11, 14)

"I AM the resurrection and the life." (Jn. 11:25)

"I AM the way, the truth, and the life." (Jn. 14:6)

"I AM the true vine." (Jn. 15:1, 5 -- today’s gospel)

These are the seven great I AMs (Greek:εἰμι) of Jesus recorded in John's gospel.

I AM - the very name of God

I AM, in fact, is the very name of God. In Exodus God calls Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. But Moses asks God, “When I go to the Israelites and tell them that the God of their ancestors sent me to them, they will ask me what is his name? So what can I tell them?” God said to Moses, “You must tell the Israelites that the one whose name is I AM has sent you to them.” (Ex. 3:11-14)

The scribes and Pharisees knew that I AM was the very name of God. One day when Jesus was verbally scrapping scrap with them, He said, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” But they protested, “Why you’re not even fifty years old--and you have seen Abraham?” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I AM.” That was such a bold claim to deity that the Jewish authorities picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and slipped out of the Temple precincts. (Jn. 8:55-59)

Pope John was a good shepherd

What Good Pope John XXIII did for the Universal Church was, indeed, important. He summoned his Church to Vatican II, which produced 16 important documents, which powerfully changed the course of the Bark of Peter. But what Good Pope John was for the Universal Church was even more important. In his homily on the day of his `coronation’ he didn’t tell the crowds what he was planning to do for the Church - call an Ecumenical Council. But he did tell them what he was planning to be for the Church: a good shepherd. He told the crowds, “Your new pope has in mind St. John's example of the Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who came not to be served but to serve.” (Mk. 10:45)  The next day, John went forth to be a good shepherd, visiting prisoners in a Roman jail and aged priests in a nursing home. John was a good shepherd to the Church, and that was even more important than his calling the Second Vatican Council.

Conclusion

I AM -- more important than I DO

What I am is more important than what I do! When I am bread for someone who’s hungry, when I am light for someone who’s in the dark, when I am a door for someone who’s knocking to get in, when I am a good shepherd to some hungry sheep seeking a green pasture, etc., that’s more important than what  I do as “doctor, lawyer, merchant, chief.” Jesus’ I AMs challenge me to define myself not by what I do but by what I AM.