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Jesus
went out with his
disciples across the Kidron valley to where there was a garden, into
which he
and his disciples entered. Judas
his
betrayer also knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with
his
disciples. So Judas
got a band of
soldiers and guards from the chief priests and the Pharisees and went
there
with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus,
knowing everything that was going to happen
to him, went out and
said to them, “Whom are you looking for?” They
answered him,
“Jesus the Nazorean.” He said to
them, “I AM.” Judas
his betrayer was also with them. When
he
said to them, “I AM,” they turned away and fell to
the ground. So he
again asked them, “Whom are you looking
for?” They
said, “Jesus the
Nazorean.” Jesus
answered, “I told you
that I AM. So if
you are looking for me,
let these men go.”
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“You
love me,” the group 3 Doors Down sings the thoughts of
the man
in the relationship, “but you don’t know who I am. I’m torn between
this life I lead and where I
stand. And you love
me, but you don’t
know who I am, so let me go.” The other
partner in the relationship, for some reason, has
not come to
understand him enough, and therefore he has to get out of the
relationship
since he sings that he has to live his life, and cannot remain at a
standstill. That
is a very
good message. If we
are going to commit
ourselves to another, we must know each other well.
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One
cannot read John’s Gospel without recognizing that in the
Gospel, there are
numerous indicators that Jesus was indeed God, and that there could be
little
doubt. One of those
times was in the garden to which he and his disciples went to pray
after the Last Supper. As the betrayer and the
soldiers approached
Jesus, asking for Jesus the Nazorean, Jesus tells them simply,
“I AM,” not “I
am he” as the other evangelists record the scene. “I
AM”
is the answer to Moses when Moses
asked of God, “Who are you?” The
soldiers fall to the ground in forced adoration the first time that
they hear
his statement. If
people want to know
who Jesus really is, they must recognize that he is God, and they will
behave
accordingly.
In their song "Let Me Go" the group 3 Doors Down sings of the importance of knowing who a person is before any type of commitment such as marriage or a permanent relationship can be made. It is an unfortunate fact that in our society in which we choose partners for life, we make the choice too soon or without much study of the relationship. Often we simply do not know that “it is right” when we think that “it is right.” The group sings a simple statement, but it is a statement that is full of wisdom and experience: “You don’t know who I am, so let me go.” Deep knowledge of another is imperative if we are to have a long-lasting relationship with such a one. In the Christian world, believers must know the person of Jesus Christ if they want to follow him. In the world of romantic love relationships, we must know who the other is before any promise can be made. |
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THOUGHT
Do you believe
that most people
have a good knowledge of their partner before they get married?
Yes or no and why?
PRAYER Good
and gracious
God, your Son
told us that he was indeed your Son—God—when he was
here on this earth who therefore had a deep knowledge of you. Help
us understand that a deep knowledge of another
is very important if we want to have a true relationship with such a
person. Be with us, we pray.
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©2007 Capuchin
Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America |