I am a god

Jesus says he's God. The Jews complain and want to stone him because he, a mere man, is claiming to be God. Jesus then complicates things: “Jesus answered, ‘Is it not written in your law, “I said: You are gods”? It is those to whom God’s word came who are called gods – and Scripture cannot be set aside.’” (John 10.34)

Jesus is citing Psalm 82 where “God takes his place in the court of heaven to pronounce judgement among the gods”. And the judgement is that “the gods” are failing uphold the level of conduct God expects and commands; that is care for orphans and widows, rescue the weak and needy – the very things the Jews are commanded to do in the Law of Moses and the words of the prophets. The border between divine and human is very fuzzy: God’s word calls the recipients of God’s word gods. But because they have not upheld divine standards, “You shall die as mortals die, and fall as any prince does.” (Psalm 82.7)

There is a sense in which I am a god. For starters I am made in the image of God. My vocation is to fulfil the law of God and get others to do likewise. I am immortal – as long as I uphold God’s standards faithfully. But if I fail to care for the widow and orphan, the weak and needy – then I will fall and die as mortals die. Too often we create a deep divide between the divine and the human: we are worms; we are wretched spiders which God dangles over the fires of hell. No! We are gods! And the way we show it is to behave like Yahweh, caring for the weak and needy, widows and orphans, the poor and oppressed.

Yahweh behaves in a certain way toward me; I behave in that self-same way to those around me. To that extent I am a god to them. God shows mercy; I show mercy. God forgives; I forgive. God oozes lovingkindness and unfailing love; I ooze lovingkindness and unfailing love. God upholds strict standards of justice and honesty; I uphold strict standards of justice and honesty. But if I fail in any of this and look out for self-interest and personal gain, then I will fall, and die as mortals die. In other words, my basic state is eternal; that is the norm, to be immortal as Yahweh is. However, if I don’t watch my behaviour I will fall; fall and die – mortal, the end.

Yahweh -> me -> others. I am a god, as I bring God to others.

Michael