March 26, 26 – Thursday, Fifth Week of Lent: May Abram be Removed and Abraham Resonate

Daily Divine Word:

March 26, 26 – Thursday, Fifth Week of Lent: May Abram be removed and Abraham resonate

Genesis 17:3-9; John 8:51-59

The reading from Genesis today recounts God revealing himself to Abram, Abram’s change of name and God establishing covenant with him. The covenant has two parts: the benefits and the requirements.

God promises the following to the participants of the covenant:

Abram will be blessed with many descendants

Abram blessed with fertility and make him a great nation

Great nations and kings would be raised from Abram’s descendants

God will be faithful to Abram and his descendants

God will give the land of Canaan to Abram and his descendants

Sign of all these, Abram’s name would be changed to Abraham.

Expectation from Abram and his descendants:

Keep the covenant throughout the ages. (faithfulness)

Movement from Fear to Faith: Abraham prostrates before God. Prostration symbolized total surrender and acceptance of God as everything. Abram was frightened about his posterity. He was overwhelmed with fear about his future and the future of his family. God’s covenant gives him hope and promise. He moves from fear to faith. He decides to trust God and not rely on his own strength. Reliance on one’s own strength has an implicit aspect of fear, while relying on God provides inner peace in anticipation.

Names God takes away: God takes away Abram’s name and names him Abraham. Abraham means the father of many nations. God’s promise becomes the name. We know the names are important. Names provide identity and they represent one’s culture, language, religion and ethnicity. A name is a history. Names symbolize one’s past, present and future. God takes away Abram’s name, which means God is working at the past, present and future of Abram. God is working to provide a new identity and a bright future that will last for ever. Change of name signals new identity, new direction and a new responsibility.

Which of my names God wans to take away: God removing the name of Abram and giving a new name is also a symbolic act. It is not about changing the names which are given at birth but changing the labels that we give to ourselves, or names that we cherish to represent us. These are the names that we give ourselves to exalt over others. These are names we give to divide ourselves from others, some as outsiders, a few insiders and a few enemies. These are names we give ourselves to justify our way of life. God gives us better names and identities when we give up old ones that no longer fit to our image and likeness of God.

Our Takeaway

1. May Abram in us be removed and Abraham resonate.
2. Reliance on one’s own strength has an implicit aspect of fear, while relying on God provides inner peace in anticipation.
3. God removing the name of Abram and giving a new name is also a symbolic act. It is not about changing the names which are given at birth but changing the labels that we give to ourselves, or names that we cherish to represent us. These are the names that we give ourselves to exalt over others. These are names we give to divide ourselves from others, some as outsiders, a few insiders and a few enemies.

Wilson SVD