Third Sunday of Lent – Year C Readings
Lectionary: 30
Lectionary: 30
Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro,
the priest of Midian.
Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb,
the mountain of God.
There an angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in fire
flaming out of a bush.
As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush,
though on fire, was not consumed.
So Moses decided,
“I must go over to look at this remarkable sight,
and see why the bush is not burned.”
When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely,
God called out to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
He answered, “Here I am.”
God said, “Come no nearer!
Remove the sandals from your feet,
for the place where you stand is holy ground.
I am the God of your fathers, “ he continued,
“the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.”
Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
But the LORD said,
“I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt
and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers,
so I know well what they are suffering.
Therefore I have come down to rescue them
from the hands of the Egyptians
and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land,
a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Moses said to God, “But when I go to the Israelites
and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’
if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?”
God replied, “I am who am.”
Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites:
I AM sent me to you.”
God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites:
The LORD, the God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,
has sent me to you.
“This is my name forever;
thus am I to be remembered through all generations.”
the priest of Midian.
Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb,
the mountain of God.
There an angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in fire
flaming out of a bush.
As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush,
though on fire, was not consumed.
So Moses decided,
“I must go over to look at this remarkable sight,
and see why the bush is not burned.”
When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely,
God called out to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
He answered, “Here I am.”
God said, “Come no nearer!
Remove the sandals from your feet,
for the place where you stand is holy ground.
I am the God of your fathers, “ he continued,
“the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.”
Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
But the LORD said,
“I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt
and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers,
so I know well what they are suffering.
Therefore I have come down to rescue them
from the hands of the Egyptians
and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land,
a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Moses said to God, “But when I go to the Israelites
and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’
if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?”
God replied, “I am who am.”
Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites:
I AM sent me to you.”
God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites:
The LORD, the God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,
has sent me to you.
“This is my name forever;
thus am I to be remembered through all generations.”
Responsorial
PsalmPS 103: 1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8,
11.
R. (8a) The
Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills,
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the oppressed.
He has made known his ways to Moses,
and his deeds to the children of Israel.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills,
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the oppressed.
He has made known his ways to Moses,
and his deeds to the children of Israel.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Reading 21 COR 10:1-6, 10-12
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,
that our ancestors were all under the cloud
and all passed through the sea,
and all of them were baptized into Moses
in the cloud and in the sea.
All ate the same spiritual food,
and all drank the same spiritual drink,
for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them,
and the rock was the Christ.
Yet God was not pleased with most of them,
for they were struck down in the desert.
These things happened as examples for us,
so that we might not desire evil things, as they did.
Do not grumble as some of them did,
and suffered death by the destroyer.
These things happened to them as an example,
and they have been written down as a warning to us,
upon whom the end of the ages has come.
Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure
should take care not to fall.
that our ancestors were all under the cloud
and all passed through the sea,
and all of them were baptized into Moses
in the cloud and in the sea.
All ate the same spiritual food,
and all drank the same spiritual drink,
for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them,
and the rock was the Christ.
Yet God was not pleased with most of them,
for they were struck down in the desert.
These things happened as examples for us,
so that we might not desire evil things, as they did.
Do not grumble as some of them did,
and suffered death by the destroyer.
These things happened to them as an example,
and they have been written down as a warning to us,
upon whom the end of the ages has come.
Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure
should take care not to fall.
Verse Before
The GospelMT 4:17
Repent, says the Lord;
the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
GospelLK 13:1-9
Some people told Jesus about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
Jesus said to them in reply,
"Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them—
do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!"
And he told them this parable:
"There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
'For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?'
He said to him in reply,
'Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.'"
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
Jesus said to them in reply,
"Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them—
do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!"
And he told them this parable:
"There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
'For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?'
He said to him in reply,
'Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.'"
Meditation: "Unless you repent you will
perish"
What
causes suffering or affliction and what does God want to teach us through it?
The people of Israel suffered greatly under the oppressive rule of Egypt for
more than 400 years. Did they suffer unjustly or was God angry with them? God
was faithful to his people Israel even in the midst of their affliction and ill
treatment by their Egyptian taskmaster. God in his mercy did not forget them
nor forsake them. Throughout their long history of exile and suffering God made
them strong and they grew in number. God listened to their plea for mercy and
freedom. And God raised up a savior for them, called Moses, whom he taught and
tested in the wilderness until he was ready to hear and obey God's call.
The
fire of God's purifying love and deliverance
When Moses came near the mountain of God at Horeb (which is also named Sinai), God made his presence and will known to Moses through an extraordinary sign - a bush inflamed with a fierce fire that did not harm or destroy the bush. This burning bush was a sign of God's presence and power to save his people from destruction. The fire of God's presence always demonstrates his purifying love and mercy that burns away sin and refashions us in his holiness and righteousness (moral goodness). Just as gold is tested through fire, God tests and purifies his people and fills them with the fire of his love and holiness.
When Moses came near the mountain of God at Horeb (which is also named Sinai), God made his presence and will known to Moses through an extraordinary sign - a bush inflamed with a fierce fire that did not harm or destroy the bush. This burning bush was a sign of God's presence and power to save his people from destruction. The fire of God's presence always demonstrates his purifying love and mercy that burns away sin and refashions us in his holiness and righteousness (moral goodness). Just as gold is tested through fire, God tests and purifies his people and fills them with the fire of his love and holiness.
When
Jesus preached the coming of God's kingdom of peace and righteousness to his
people, he called them to repent and believe in the gospel - the good news of pardon,
peace, and new life in the Holy Spirit. His numerous signs and miracles
demonstrated the power of God's kingdom breaking into the lives of all who
turned to Jesus with faith and obedience. Many recognized that Jesus was the
Messiah whom God had promised would come and do even greater signs and wonders
than Moses has done.
Jesus addresses the issue of suffering and sin
Jesus on a number of occasions warned the people turn away from sin before it was too late to repent and receive God's mercy and pardon. Luke recounts two current disasters which Jesus addressed with the people. The first incident occurred in the temple at Jerusalem. Pilate, who was the Roman governor of Jerusalem at the time, ordered his troops to slaughter a group of Galileans who had come up to Jerusalem to offer sacrifice in the Temple. We do not know what these Galileans did to incite Pilate's wrath, nor why Pilate chose to attack them in the holiest of places for the Jews, in their temple at Jerusalem. For the Jews, this was political barbarity and sacrilege at its worst!
Jesus addresses the issue of suffering and sin
Jesus on a number of occasions warned the people turn away from sin before it was too late to repent and receive God's mercy and pardon. Luke recounts two current disasters which Jesus addressed with the people. The first incident occurred in the temple at Jerusalem. Pilate, who was the Roman governor of Jerusalem at the time, ordered his troops to slaughter a group of Galileans who had come up to Jerusalem to offer sacrifice in the Temple. We do not know what these Galileans did to incite Pilate's wrath, nor why Pilate chose to attack them in the holiest of places for the Jews, in their temple at Jerusalem. For the Jews, this was political barbarity and sacrilege at its worst!
The
second incident which Jesus addressed was a natural disaster, a tower in
Jerusalem which unexpectedly collapsed, killing 18 people. The Jews often
associated such calamities and disasters as a consequence of sin. Scripture
does warn that sin can result in calamity! Though the righteous fall
seven times, and rise again; the wicked are overthrown by calamity (Proverbs
24:16).
The
time for repentance and forgiveness is right now!
The real danger and calamity which Jesus points out is that an unexpected disaster or a sudden death does not give us time to repent of our sins and to prepare ourselves to meet the Judge of heaven and earth. The Book of Job reminds us that misfortune and calamity can befall both the righteous and the unrighteous alike. Jesus gives a clear warning - take responsibility for your actions and moral choices and put sin to death today before it can destroy your heart, mind, soul, and body as well. Unrepentant sin is like a cancer which corrupts us from within. If it is not eliminated through repentance - asking God for forgiveness and for his healing grace - it leads to a spiritual death which is far worse than physical destruction.
The real danger and calamity which Jesus points out is that an unexpected disaster or a sudden death does not give us time to repent of our sins and to prepare ourselves to meet the Judge of heaven and earth. The Book of Job reminds us that misfortune and calamity can befall both the righteous and the unrighteous alike. Jesus gives a clear warning - take responsibility for your actions and moral choices and put sin to death today before it can destroy your heart, mind, soul, and body as well. Unrepentant sin is like a cancer which corrupts us from within. If it is not eliminated through repentance - asking God for forgiveness and for his healing grace - it leads to a spiritual death which is far worse than physical destruction.
The
sign of the barren fig tree
Jesus' parable of the barren fig trees illustrates his warning about the consequences of allowing sin and corruption to take root in our hearts and minds. Fig trees were a common and important source of food for the people of Palestine. A fig tree normally matured within three years, producing plentiful fruit. If it failed, it was cut down to make room for more healthy trees. A decaying fig tree and its bad fruit came to symbolize for the Jews the consequence of spiritual corruption caused by evil deeds and unrepentant sin.
Jesus' parable of the barren fig trees illustrates his warning about the consequences of allowing sin and corruption to take root in our hearts and minds. Fig trees were a common and important source of food for the people of Palestine. A fig tree normally matured within three years, producing plentiful fruit. If it failed, it was cut down to make room for more healthy trees. A decaying fig tree and its bad fruit came to symbolize for the Jews the consequence of spiritual corruption caused by evil deeds and unrepentant sin.
The
unfruitful fig tree symbolized the outcome of Israel's indifference and lack of
response to God's word of repentance and restoration. The prophets
depicted the desolation and calamity of Israel's fall and ruin - due to her
unfaithfulness to God - as a languishing fig tree (see Joel 1:7,12; Habbakuk
3:17; and Jeremiah 8:13). Jeremiah likened good and evil rulers and members of
Israel with figs that were either good for eating or rotten and wasteful
(Jeremiah 24:2-8). Jesus' parable depicts the patience of God, but it also
contains a warning that we should not presume upon God's patience and mercy.
God's judgment will come in due course - very soon or later.
Why
God judges
Why does God judge his people? He judges to purify and cleanse us of all sin that we might grow in his holiness and righteousness. And he disciplines us for our own good, to inspire a godly fear and reverence for him and his word. God is patient, but for those who persistently and stubbornly rebel against him and refuse to repent and change their course, there is the consequence that they will lose both their soul and body to hell. Are God's judgments unjust or unloving? When God's judgments are revealed in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9). To pronounce God's judgment on sin is much less harsh than what will happen if those who sin are not warned to repent and turn back to God.
Why does God judge his people? He judges to purify and cleanse us of all sin that we might grow in his holiness and righteousness. And he disciplines us for our own good, to inspire a godly fear and reverence for him and his word. God is patient, but for those who persistently and stubbornly rebel against him and refuse to repent and change their course, there is the consequence that they will lose both their soul and body to hell. Are God's judgments unjust or unloving? When God's judgments are revealed in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9). To pronounce God's judgment on sin is much less harsh than what will happen if those who sin are not warned to repent and turn back to God.
Don't
tolerate sin
God, in his mercy, gives us time to get right with him, but that time is now. We must not assume that there is no hurry. A sudden and unexpected death leaves one no time to prepare to settle one's accounts when he or she must stand before the Lord on the day of judgment. Jesus warns us that we must be ready at all times. Tolerating sinful habits and excusing unrepentant sin and wrongdoing will result in bad fruit, painful discipline, and spiritual disease that leads to death and destruction. The Lord in his mercy gives us both grace (his gracious help and healing) and time to turn away from sin, but that time is right now. If we delay, even for a day, we may discover that grace has passed us by and our time is up. Do you hunger for the Lord's righteousness (moral goodness) and holiness?
God, in his mercy, gives us time to get right with him, but that time is now. We must not assume that there is no hurry. A sudden and unexpected death leaves one no time to prepare to settle one's accounts when he or she must stand before the Lord on the day of judgment. Jesus warns us that we must be ready at all times. Tolerating sinful habits and excusing unrepentant sin and wrongdoing will result in bad fruit, painful discipline, and spiritual disease that leads to death and destruction. The Lord in his mercy gives us both grace (his gracious help and healing) and time to turn away from sin, but that time is right now. If we delay, even for a day, we may discover that grace has passed us by and our time is up. Do you hunger for the Lord's righteousness (moral goodness) and holiness?
"Lord
Jesus, increase my hunger for you that I may grow in righteousness and holiness.
May I not squander the grace of the present moment to say "yes" to
you and to your will and plan for my life."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: The Lord's three visits through the
Patriarchs, Prophets, and the Gospel, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430
A.D.
"The
Lord also has something very fitting to say about a fruitless tree, 'Look, it
is now three years that I have been coming to it. Finding no fruit on it, I
will cut it down, to stop it blocking up my field.' The gardener intercedes...
This tree is the human race. The Lord visited this tree in the time of the
patriarchs, as if for the first year. He visited it in the time of the law and
the prophets, as if for the second year. Here we are now; with the gospel the
third year has dawned. Now it is as though it should have been cut down, but
the merciful one intercedes with the merciful one. He wanted to show how
merciful he was, and so he stood up to himself with a plea for mercy. 'Let us
leave it,' he says, 'this year too. Let us dig a ditch around it.' Manure is a
sign of humility. 'Let us apply a load of manure; perhaps it may bear fruit.'
Since it does bear fruit in one part, and in another part does not bear fruit,
its Lord will come and divide it. What does that mean, 'divide it'? There are
good people and bad people now in one company, as though constituting one
body." (excerpt from Sermon 254.3)
3rd Sunday of Lent – Cycle C
Note: If there are some of The Elect at the Mass, the readings given for Cycle A may be used. The alternate readings emphasize water: the water from the rock during the wandering in the desert, and the water from the well in Samaria. The Elect are longing for the waters of baptism.
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15
The story of the salvation of God’s peoples continues during this Lenten season. Today we hear of Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush.
Moses (Hebrew: Moshe) was born into a Hebrew family who lived in Egypt. As the story goes, the Egyptians had issued an order to kill all male Jewish infants (commentators have suggested that this was to weaken the Jewish tribal bond by eliminating male heirs, thus forcing intermarriage and abolishing the priesthood). Moses escaped this fate by being cast adrift in a basket on the Nile (at the age of 3 months) and rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter who immediately recognized him as a Hebrew (no doubt because Jews circumcised at 8 days and Egyptians at 13 years). Moses, as he was named by Pharaoh’s daughter, was raised as her son. One day in 1486 B.C. when Moses was forty (Acts 7:23), he killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew and had to flee. He went to Midian [so named for Midian, a descendent of Abraham through Keturah (a wife of lower rank through whom the Hebrews established their connection with the Arabian tribes (Genesis 25:1-4; 1 Chronicles 1:32)]. Midian was located on the eastern shore of the Red Sea in the area of present Saudi Arabia and probably included the Sinai Peninsula.
He married a priest’s daughter and settled down to be a shepherd, which brings us to the time of today’s reading, about 40 years after his arrival in Midian.
3:1 [ ] Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai.
2 There an angel of the LORD appeared to him in fire flaming out of a bush.
In Old Testament literature this expression may refer to God Himself or His angel. Here we are most probably hearing about God making Himself known to His chosen human instrument.
As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush, though on fire, was not consumed. 3 So Moses decided, “I must go over to look at this remarkable sight, and see why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!” He answered, “Here I am.” 5 God said, “Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. 6 I am the God of your father,” he continued, “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.”
God shows His fixed resolve to deliver the descendants of the patriarchs from their oppressors; and that Moses is to be His chosen instrument of deliverance.
Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
Who can look at God and live? (Exodus 33:20).
7 But the LORD said, “I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers, so I know well what they are suffering. 8a Therefore I have come down to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians
God intervenes because He has seen and heard the cry of His suffering people (Exodus 2:23-25).
and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
The abundance of milk is one of the signs of prosperity and peace. The milk used in Old Testament times was sheep or goat’s milk kept in skin bottles. In regions where water was scarce or unsafe milk was used to quench the thirst. Honey is also a sign of abundance. It was essential in the diet of the nomadic tribes who did not cultivate cereals, but was not favored by settled peoples as a steady diet. Usually means date syrup as wild bee honey is not plentiful.
13 “But,” said Moses to God, “when I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?”
Moses is objecting to being chosen and trying to show that the people won’t believe him; they won’t believe that he speaks for God.
14 God replied, “I am who am.”
The divine name manifests God to the worshiper; the old name, the God of your fathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), is not adequate.
Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent me to you.”
The name in Hebrew is YHWH (Hebrew had no vowels). The name Jehovah has resulted from a misreading of the name in Hebrew. Wherever YHWH was encountered in Scriptures when reading, the title “Adonai” (Lord) was substituted and the insertion of the vowel sounds from Adonai into YHWH in the 19th century, resulted in Jehovah.
15 God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites: The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.” This is my name forever; this is my title for all generations.”
After revealing His Name, God elaborates the mission of His newly chosen instrument and sets aside his objection.
2nd Reading - 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12
Our epistle reading for today mentions the wilderness struggle of the Israelites, so it ties into the story of Moses and the people.
10:1 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our ancestors were all under the cloud
As in Psalm 105:39
and all passed through the sea, 2 and all of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
“Paul says the Jews were under the cloud in order to point out that everything that happened to them is meant to be understood as a picture of the truth which has been revealed to us. Under the cloud they were protected from their enemies until they were delivered from death, analogous to baptism. For when they passed through the Red Sea they were delivered from the Egyptians who died in it (Exodus 14:28-29), and their death prefigured our baptism, which puts our adversaries to death as well.” [The Ambrosiaster (between A.D. 366-384), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles]
3 All ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink,
Sustenance of supernatural origin; an allusion to the Eucharist
for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them,
There is no Old Testament hint of movement of the rock, this is oral Jewish Tradition which is recorded in Scripture here for the first time.
and the rock was the Christ.
To heighten the Corinthians’ appreciation of the parallel situations, they should see the rock as equivalent to Christ now; the continuity of giving.
5 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert.
In verses 1 through 5 Saint Paul establishes a parallel between the situation of the Israelites in the desert and the Corinthians. He takes it for granted that the readers are familiar with the Exodus narrative, whose order he follows: the cloud (Exodus 13:21), the sea (Exodus 14:21), the manna (Exodus 16:4), the water (Exodus 17:6), and the rebellion (Exodus 32:6).
6 These things happened as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil things, as they did.
The chastisements inflicted on the unfaithful Israelites are a warning to Christians.
10 Do not grumble as some of them did, and suffered death by the destroyer.
On the basis of Exodus 12:23 (the Passover night), the rabbis believed that there was a special destroying angel.
“Those who were destroyed prefigured Judas, who betrayed Christ and was eliminated from the number of the apostles by the judgment of God.” [The Ambrosiaster (between A.D. 366-384), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles]
11 These things happened to them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come.
The messianic period is the final period in salvation history (Hebrews 1:1-2). This is the period in which we currently live.
12 Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.
This is the whole point of this reading.
“Paul wants to remind us that we are not saved merely because we happen to have been the recipients of God’s free grace. We have to demonstrate that we are willing recipients of that free gift. The children of Israel received it, but they proved to be unworthy of it, and so
they were not saved.” [Origin (ca. A.D. 240, Commentary on First Corinthians 4,45,2-5]
Gospel - Luke 13:1-9
Our Gospel reading is a mid-Lenten call for repentance that provides a continuing balance to the Old Testament stories of covenant-making between God and His people. God called Moses and the Israelites. He demanded that the people of the covenant live a life of repentance and turn back to the Lord. The people of the covenant are expected to bear fruit. Our relationship with God cannot be taken for granted any more than a marriage relationship can. Husband and wife must constantly make decisions of love for each other. Priorities have to be set in which the marriage relationship comes first; otherwise the marriage falters, dries up, and often dies. The covenant must be renewed day after day after day with decisions for the covenant of marriage. This is the kind of constant decision making that is essential if we are to live in our covenant relationship with God.
13:1 At that time some people who were present there told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
This incident is recorded only here, and is otherwise unknown in secular histories. It fits, however, into the picture of Pilate that is known to us from the first century Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus:
“So he [Pilate] habited a great number of his soldiers in their habit, who carried daggers under their garments, and sent them to a place where they might surround them [the rebellious Jews]. He bade the Jews himself go away; but they boldly cast reproaches upon him so he gave the soldiers that signal which had been beforehand agreed on; the soldiers then laid upon them much greater blows than Pilate had commanded them, and equally punished those that were tumultuous, and those that were not, nor did they spare them in the least; and since the people were unarmed, and were caught by men prepared for what they were about, there were a great number of them slain by this means, and others of them ran away wounded; and thus an end was put to this sedition.” [Antiquities of the Jews 18:3,2(61-62)].
2 He said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? 3 By no means!
Jesus doesn’t condemn Pilate, he merely comments on the guilt of those so murdered; or lack thereof.
But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!
Repent and be ready for judgment.
4 Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them – do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
Probably one of the towers that guarded the pool of Siloam (located in the southeastern corner of Jerusalem).
5 By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” 6 And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
The fig tree is a symbol of Israel.
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, 7 he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. (So) cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’
In Hebrew numerology, the number of completion; also the length of Jesus’ public ministry
8 He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; 9 it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”
God waits patiently for the fruit to appear; he wants him to be converted and live (Ezekiel 33:11).
Note: If there are some of The Elect at the Mass, the readings given for Cycle A may be used. The alternate readings emphasize water: the water from the rock during the wandering in the desert, and the water from the well in Samaria. The Elect are longing for the waters of baptism.
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15
The story of the salvation of God’s peoples continues during this Lenten season. Today we hear of Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush.
Moses (Hebrew: Moshe) was born into a Hebrew family who lived in Egypt. As the story goes, the Egyptians had issued an order to kill all male Jewish infants (commentators have suggested that this was to weaken the Jewish tribal bond by eliminating male heirs, thus forcing intermarriage and abolishing the priesthood). Moses escaped this fate by being cast adrift in a basket on the Nile (at the age of 3 months) and rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter who immediately recognized him as a Hebrew (no doubt because Jews circumcised at 8 days and Egyptians at 13 years). Moses, as he was named by Pharaoh’s daughter, was raised as her son. One day in 1486 B.C. when Moses was forty (Acts 7:23), he killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew and had to flee. He went to Midian [so named for Midian, a descendent of Abraham through Keturah (a wife of lower rank through whom the Hebrews established their connection with the Arabian tribes (Genesis 25:1-4; 1 Chronicles 1:32)]. Midian was located on the eastern shore of the Red Sea in the area of present Saudi Arabia and probably included the Sinai Peninsula.
He married a priest’s daughter and settled down to be a shepherd, which brings us to the time of today’s reading, about 40 years after his arrival in Midian.
3:1 [ ] Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai.
2 There an angel of the LORD appeared to him in fire flaming out of a bush.
In Old Testament literature this expression may refer to God Himself or His angel. Here we are most probably hearing about God making Himself known to His chosen human instrument.
As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush, though on fire, was not consumed. 3 So Moses decided, “I must go over to look at this remarkable sight, and see why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!” He answered, “Here I am.” 5 God said, “Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. 6 I am the God of your father,” he continued, “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.”
God shows His fixed resolve to deliver the descendants of the patriarchs from their oppressors; and that Moses is to be His chosen instrument of deliverance.
Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
Who can look at God and live? (Exodus 33:20).
7 But the LORD said, “I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers, so I know well what they are suffering. 8a Therefore I have come down to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians
God intervenes because He has seen and heard the cry of His suffering people (Exodus 2:23-25).
and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
The abundance of milk is one of the signs of prosperity and peace. The milk used in Old Testament times was sheep or goat’s milk kept in skin bottles. In regions where water was scarce or unsafe milk was used to quench the thirst. Honey is also a sign of abundance. It was essential in the diet of the nomadic tribes who did not cultivate cereals, but was not favored by settled peoples as a steady diet. Usually means date syrup as wild bee honey is not plentiful.
13 “But,” said Moses to God, “when I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?”
Moses is objecting to being chosen and trying to show that the people won’t believe him; they won’t believe that he speaks for God.
14 God replied, “I am who am.”
The divine name manifests God to the worshiper; the old name, the God of your fathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), is not adequate.
Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent me to you.”
The name in Hebrew is YHWH (Hebrew had no vowels). The name Jehovah has resulted from a misreading of the name in Hebrew. Wherever YHWH was encountered in Scriptures when reading, the title “Adonai” (Lord) was substituted and the insertion of the vowel sounds from Adonai into YHWH in the 19th century, resulted in Jehovah.
15 God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites: The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.” This is my name forever; this is my title for all generations.”
After revealing His Name, God elaborates the mission of His newly chosen instrument and sets aside his objection.
2nd Reading - 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12
Our epistle reading for today mentions the wilderness struggle of the Israelites, so it ties into the story of Moses and the people.
10:1 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our ancestors were all under the cloud
As in Psalm 105:39
and all passed through the sea, 2 and all of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
“Paul says the Jews were under the cloud in order to point out that everything that happened to them is meant to be understood as a picture of the truth which has been revealed to us. Under the cloud they were protected from their enemies until they were delivered from death, analogous to baptism. For when they passed through the Red Sea they were delivered from the Egyptians who died in it (Exodus 14:28-29), and their death prefigured our baptism, which puts our adversaries to death as well.” [The Ambrosiaster (between A.D. 366-384), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles]
3 All ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink,
Sustenance of supernatural origin; an allusion to the Eucharist
for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them,
There is no Old Testament hint of movement of the rock, this is oral Jewish Tradition which is recorded in Scripture here for the first time.
and the rock was the Christ.
To heighten the Corinthians’ appreciation of the parallel situations, they should see the rock as equivalent to Christ now; the continuity of giving.
5 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert.
In verses 1 through 5 Saint Paul establishes a parallel between the situation of the Israelites in the desert and the Corinthians. He takes it for granted that the readers are familiar with the Exodus narrative, whose order he follows: the cloud (Exodus 13:21), the sea (Exodus 14:21), the manna (Exodus 16:4), the water (Exodus 17:6), and the rebellion (Exodus 32:6).
6 These things happened as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil things, as they did.
The chastisements inflicted on the unfaithful Israelites are a warning to Christians.
10 Do not grumble as some of them did, and suffered death by the destroyer.
On the basis of Exodus 12:23 (the Passover night), the rabbis believed that there was a special destroying angel.
“Those who were destroyed prefigured Judas, who betrayed Christ and was eliminated from the number of the apostles by the judgment of God.” [The Ambrosiaster (between A.D. 366-384), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles]
11 These things happened to them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come.
The messianic period is the final period in salvation history (Hebrews 1:1-2). This is the period in which we currently live.
12 Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.
This is the whole point of this reading.
“Paul wants to remind us that we are not saved merely because we happen to have been the recipients of God’s free grace. We have to demonstrate that we are willing recipients of that free gift. The children of Israel received it, but they proved to be unworthy of it, and so
they were not saved.” [Origin (ca. A.D. 240, Commentary on First Corinthians 4,45,2-5]
Gospel - Luke 13:1-9
Our Gospel reading is a mid-Lenten call for repentance that provides a continuing balance to the Old Testament stories of covenant-making between God and His people. God called Moses and the Israelites. He demanded that the people of the covenant live a life of repentance and turn back to the Lord. The people of the covenant are expected to bear fruit. Our relationship with God cannot be taken for granted any more than a marriage relationship can. Husband and wife must constantly make decisions of love for each other. Priorities have to be set in which the marriage relationship comes first; otherwise the marriage falters, dries up, and often dies. The covenant must be renewed day after day after day with decisions for the covenant of marriage. This is the kind of constant decision making that is essential if we are to live in our covenant relationship with God.
13:1 At that time some people who were present there told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
This incident is recorded only here, and is otherwise unknown in secular histories. It fits, however, into the picture of Pilate that is known to us from the first century Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus:
“So he [Pilate] habited a great number of his soldiers in their habit, who carried daggers under their garments, and sent them to a place where they might surround them [the rebellious Jews]. He bade the Jews himself go away; but they boldly cast reproaches upon him so he gave the soldiers that signal which had been beforehand agreed on; the soldiers then laid upon them much greater blows than Pilate had commanded them, and equally punished those that were tumultuous, and those that were not, nor did they spare them in the least; and since the people were unarmed, and were caught by men prepared for what they were about, there were a great number of them slain by this means, and others of them ran away wounded; and thus an end was put to this sedition.” [Antiquities of the Jews 18:3,2(61-62)].
2 He said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? 3 By no means!
Jesus doesn’t condemn Pilate, he merely comments on the guilt of those so murdered; or lack thereof.
But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!
Repent and be ready for judgment.
4 Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them – do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
Probably one of the towers that guarded the pool of Siloam (located in the southeastern corner of Jerusalem).
5 By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” 6 And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
The fig tree is a symbol of Israel.
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, 7 he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. (So) cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’
In Hebrew numerology, the number of completion; also the length of Jesus’ public ministry
8 He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; 9 it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”
God waits patiently for the fruit to appear; he wants him to be converted and live (Ezekiel 33:11).
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Picayune, MS http://www.scborromeo.org
THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
SUNDAY, MARCH 24, LUKE 13:1-9
(Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15; Psalm 103; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12)
SUNDAY, MARCH 24, LUKE 13:1-9
(Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15; Psalm 103; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12)
KEY VERSE: "Unless you repent, you will all perish as they did" (v. 13).
TO KNOW: In Jesus' time, there were those who hoped for a triumphant Messiah who would reestablish Israel in power. They found his teaching on the cross difficult to accept. Jesus pointed out recent disasters that they believed were the consequence of sin. In one incident, Pontius Pilate's men killed some Jewish Galileans in cold-blood while they were offering sacrifice in the Jerusalem Temple at Passover. In another case, several construction workers were accidentally killed when a water tower fell on them. These individuals did not die because of their own sins. Although they were innocent of wrongdoing, they nonetheless suffered the reality of evil in the world. Without faith, these calamities would be seen as terrible tragedies, but with faith, all events in a person's life, whether good or bad, can be sanctifying and redemptive. Jesus told a parable about a fruitless fig tree planted in the vineyard (a symbol of barren Israel, Jer 8:13; Is 5:1-7). While God was merciful and patient in waiting for it to bear fruit, time was running out. The kingdom of God was at hand and God's people should repent while there was still time.
TO LOVE: Do I view the trials in my life as punishment for sin or opportunities for growth?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to uproot sin in my life so that I might bear good fruit.
SCRUTINIES - EXAMINING OUR LIVES
On the Third Sunday of Lent, we celebrate the First Scrutiny and Exorcism for the Elect (RCIA, 150). In the Scrutiny Rites, those preparing for baptism at the Easter Vigil as well as the entire assembly are called to examine the areas in their lives where they thirst for God and need God's healing love. During the week the presentation of the creed is celebrated with those preparing for baptism (called the elect after the celebration of the Rite of Election on the First Sunday of Lent, RCIA, 157). The primary way that the Church assists the elect is through the celebration of the rites called Scrutinies. To scrutinize something means to examine it closely. These ritual celebrations are held on the Third, Fourth and Fifth Sundays of Lent. Where catechumens are present the readings are from the Gospel of John. On the Third Sunday we hear the story of the woman at the well and her thirst for God (Jn 4:4-42). On the Fourth Sunday we hear the story of the man born blind and the healing power of God in his life (Jn 9:1-41). On the Fifth Sunday we hear the story of the raising of Lazarus, which reminds us of our own dying and rising with Christ in Baptism (Jn 11:1-45). The Scrutiny rites of Lent are communal prayers celebrated to strengthen the elect to overcome the power of sin in their lives and to grow in virtues. The community does not scrutinize the elect; they scrutinize their own lives and allow God to scrutinize them and to heal them. Since all of us are called to continual conversion throughout our lives, we join with the elect in scrutinizing our own lives and praying to God for the grace to overcome the power of sin that still has a hold on us, and to be strengthened in the virtues.
Sunday 24 March 2019
Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15. Psalm 102(103):1-4, 6-8, 11. 1 Corinthians
10:1-6, 10-12. Luke 13:1-9.
The Lord is kind and merciful – Psalm 102(103):1-4, 6-8,
11.
‘You are standing on holy ground.’
To experience God as Moses did when he saw the burning bush is
to become imbued with the mind of God, to see the world and the meaning of
reality through God’s eyes. ‘I am who am’ – God’s naming of himself – is an
affirmation of life, of goodness and of holiness.
Moses’ moment of revelation and adoration is immediately
succeeded by a call to service: ‘I have heard my people cry.’ Any misgivings
Moses might have had are countered by God’s promise: ‘I will be with you.’ This
God of steadfast love, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, will stand by
Moses. But it is Moses who must take action.
It can be wonderful to bask in the presence of God and
contemplate the wonders of his loving kindness, but when we are called to
action on his behalf in our broken and unjust world, is our response to close
our eyes, or do we say, ‘Here I am, Lord. I come to do your will’?
Saint Oscar Arnulfo Romero
Saint of the Day for March 24
(August 15, 1917 – March 24, 1980)
 |
| Saint Oscar Romero at the Trevi Fountain in Rome, 1977 | Archdiocese of San Salvador |
Saint Oscar Romero’s Story
The night before he was murdered while celebrating Mass,
Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador said on the radio: “I would like to
appeal in a special way to the men of the army, and in particular to the troops
of the National Guard, the police, and the garrisons. Brothers, you belong to
our own people. You kill your own brother peasants; and in the face of an order
to kill that is given by a man, the law of God that says ‘Do not kill!’ should
prevail.
“No soldier is obliged to obey an order counter to the law of
God. No one has to comply with an immoral law. It is the time now that you
recover your conscience and obey its dictates rather than the command of sin. .
. . Therefore, in the name of God, and in the name of this long-suffering
people, whose laments rise to heaven every day more tumultuous, I beseech you,
I beg you, I command you! In the name of God: ‘Cease the repression!’”
Simultaneously, Romero had eloquently upheld the gospel and
effectively signed his own death warrant.
When he was appointed archbishop of San Salvador in 1977, Bishop
Romero was considered a very “safe” choice. He had served as auxiliary bishop
there for four years before his three years as bishop of Santiago de Maria.
Oscar’s father wanted him to be a carpenter—a trade for which he
demonstrated some talent. Seminary classes in El Salvador preceded his studies
at Rome’s Gregorian University and his ordination in 1942. After earning a
doctorate in ascetical theology, he returned home and became a parish priest
and later rector of an interdiocesan seminary.
Three weeks after his appointment as archbishop, Romero was
shaken by the murder of his good friend Jesuit Father Rutilio Grande, a
vigorous defender of the rights of the poor. Five more priests were
assassinated in the Archdiocese of San Salvador during Romero’s years as its
shepherd.
When a military junta seized control of the national government
in 1979, Archbishop Romero publicly criticized the US government for backing
the junta. His weekly radio sermons, broadcast throughout the country, were
regarded by many as the most trustworthy source of news available.
Romero’s funeral was celebrated in the plaza outside the
cathedral and drew an estimated 250,000 mourners.
His tomb in the cathedral crypt soon drew thousands of visitors
each year. On February 3, 2015, Pope Francis authorized a decree recognizing
Oscar Romero as a martyr for the faith. His beatification took place in San
Salvador on May 23, 2015. He was canonized on October 14, 2018.
Reflection
Oscar Romero and many other Latin American martyrs for the faith
were falsely accused of advocating a Marxist-inspired “theology of liberation.”
Following Jesus always requires choices. Romero’s fiercest critics conveniently
dismissed his choices as politically inspired. An incarnational faith must be
expressed publicly.
Lectio Divina: 3rd Sunday of Lent (C)
Sunday, March 24, 2019
Jesus comments on the events of the day
How to interpret the signs of the times
Luke 13:1-9
How to interpret the signs of the times
Luke 13:1-9
1. Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, send Your Spirit to help us to read the scriptures
with the same mind that You read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In
the light of the Word, written in the bible, You helped them to discover the
presence of God in the disturbing events of Your sentence and death. Thus, the
cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life
and of resurrection.
Create silence in us so that we may listen to Your voice in creation and in the scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May Your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed the Father to us and sent us Your Spirit. Amen.
Create silence in us so that we may listen to Your voice in creation and in the scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May Your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed the Father to us and sent us Your Spirit. Amen.
2. Reading
a) A key to the reading:
The text of the third Sunday of Lent puts before us two
different but related facts: Jesus comments on the events of the day and He
narrates a parable. Luke 13:1-5: At the people’s request, Jesus comments on the
events of the day: the massacre of pilgrims by Pilate and the massacre at the
tower of Siloam where eighteen people were killed. Luke 13:-9: Jesus tells a
parable about the fig tree that bore no fruit.
As you read, it is good to note two things: (i) see how Jesus contradicts the popular interpretation of what is happening (ii) see whether there is a connection between the parable and the comment on the events of the day.
As you read, it is good to note two things: (i) see how Jesus contradicts the popular interpretation of what is happening (ii) see whether there is a connection between the parable and the comment on the events of the day.
b) A division of the text to help with the reading:
Luke 13:1: The people tell Jesus about the massacre of
the Galileans
Luke 13:2-3: Jesus comments on the massacre and draws a lesson from there for the people
Luke 13:4-5: To support His thinking, Jesus comments on another event
Luke 13:6-9: The parable of the fig tree that did not bear fruit
Luke 13:2-3: Jesus comments on the massacre and draws a lesson from there for the people
Luke 13:4-5: To support His thinking, Jesus comments on another event
Luke 13:6-9: The parable of the fig tree that did not bear fruit
c) Text:
Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate
had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. Jesus said to them in reply,
"Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were
greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you
do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who
were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them— do you think they were more
guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you,
if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!" And he told them
this parable: "There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his
orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to
the gardener, 'For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig
tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?' He
said to him in reply, 'Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate
the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not
you can cut it down.'"
3. A moment of prayerful silence
so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.
4. Some questions
to help us in our personal reflection.
a) What struck or pleased you most in this text? Why?
b) What was the popular interpretation of these two events?
c) How does Jesus disagree with the popular interpretation of the events?
d) What is the meaning of the parable? Is there a connection between the parable and the comments on the events?
e) What is this text’s message for us who have to interpret the signs of the times today?
b) What was the popular interpretation of these two events?
c) How does Jesus disagree with the popular interpretation of the events?
d) What is the meaning of the parable? Is there a connection between the parable and the comments on the events?
e) What is this text’s message for us who have to interpret the signs of the times today?
5. For those who wish to go deeper into the theme
a) The literary and historical context of then and now:
Luke writes his Gospel about 85 A.D. for the Christian
communities in Greece. Generally, he follows the narrative in Mark’s Gospel.
Here and there he introduces some minor differences or changes some words so as
to adapt the narrative to his purpose. Apart from Mark’s Gospel, Luke also
consults other books and has access to other sources: eye witnesses and
ministers of the Word (Lk 1:2). All the material that is not found in Mark,
Luke organizes into a literary form: Jesus is on a long journey from Galilee to
Jerusalem. There is a description of the journey in Luke 9:51 to 19:28 and this
includes ten chapters or one third of the Gospel!
In these chapters, Luke constantly reminds his readers that
Jesus is on a journey. He rarely tells us where Jesus is, but he lets us know
clearly that Jesus is traveling, and that the end of the journey is Jerusalem
where He will die in accordance with what the prophets had foretold (Lk
9:51,53,57;10:1,38;11:1;13:22,33;14:25;17:11;18:31,35;19:1,11,28). And even
after Jesus reaches Jerusalem, Luke goes on talking of a journey to the center
(Lk 19:29,41,45; 20:1). Just before the journey begins, on the occasion of the
Transfiguration with Moses and Elijah on the mountain, the journey to Jerusalem
is considered as an exodus for Jesus (Lk 9:31) and as an ascension
or climbing up to heaven (Lk 9:51). In the Old Testament, Moses had
led the first exodus liberating people from Pharaoh’s oppression (Ex 3:10-12)
and the prophet Elijah went up to heaven (2 Kings 2:11). Jesus is the new Moses
who comes to liberate people from the oppression of the law. He is the new
Elijah who comes to prepare the coming of the Kingdom.
The description of Jesus’ long journey to Jerusalem is not just
a literary device to introduce the material proper to Luke. It also reflects
the long and arduous journey that the communities in Greece were going through
in their daily lives in Luke’s time: passing from a rural world in Palestine to
a cosmopolitan environment in the Greek culture at the edges of the great
cities of Asia and Europe. This passage or inculturation was marked by a strong
tension between the Christians from Judaism and the new converts who came from
other ethnic and cultural groups. Indeed, the description of the long journey
to Jerusalem reflects the painful process of conversion that people connected
to Judaism had to make: to leave the world of the observance of the law that accused
and condemned them, to go towards a world of the gratuitous love of God to all
peoples, to the certainty that in Christ all peoples meld into one before God;
to leave the closed world of a race to go towards the universal territory of
humanity. This is also the journey of our lives. Are we capable of transforming
the crosses of life into an exodus of liberation?
b) A commentary on the text:
Luke 13:1: The people inform Jesus of the massacre of
the Galileans.
Like today, people pass on comments on the events that happen and want to hear comments from those who can form public opinion. That is why some people went to Jesus to tell Him of the massacre of some Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with that of their sacrifices. It was probably the assassination that took place on Mount Gerazim, which was still a place of pilgrimage and where people went to offer sacrifices. This event underlines the ferocity and stupidity of some Roman rulers in Palestine who provoked the religious sensibility of the Jews through irrational actions such as this.
Like today, people pass on comments on the events that happen and want to hear comments from those who can form public opinion. That is why some people went to Jesus to tell Him of the massacre of some Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with that of their sacrifices. It was probably the assassination that took place on Mount Gerazim, which was still a place of pilgrimage and where people went to offer sacrifices. This event underlines the ferocity and stupidity of some Roman rulers in Palestine who provoked the religious sensibility of the Jews through irrational actions such as this.
Luke 13:2-3: Jesus comments on the massacre and draws a
lesson for the people.
Asked to give an opinion, Jesus asks: “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than any others that this should happen to them?” Jesus’ question reflects the popular interpretation common then: suffering and violent death are punishment from God for some sin committed by that person. Jesus’ reaction is categorical: “They were not I tell you. No!” He denies the popular interpretation and transforms the event into an examination of conscience: “unless you repent you will all perish as they did”. In other words, unless there is a real and proper change, the same massacre will overtake all. Later history confirmed Jesus’ foresight. The change did not take place. They were not converted and forty years later, in 70, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. Many people were massacred. Jesus saw the gravity of the political situation of His country. On the one hand, there was the ever heavier and unbearable Roman domination. On the other, there was the official religion, which was growing more and more alienated without understanding the importance of the faith in Yahweh in the lives of the people.
Asked to give an opinion, Jesus asks: “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than any others that this should happen to them?” Jesus’ question reflects the popular interpretation common then: suffering and violent death are punishment from God for some sin committed by that person. Jesus’ reaction is categorical: “They were not I tell you. No!” He denies the popular interpretation and transforms the event into an examination of conscience: “unless you repent you will all perish as they did”. In other words, unless there is a real and proper change, the same massacre will overtake all. Later history confirmed Jesus’ foresight. The change did not take place. They were not converted and forty years later, in 70, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. Many people were massacred. Jesus saw the gravity of the political situation of His country. On the one hand, there was the ever heavier and unbearable Roman domination. On the other, there was the official religion, which was growing more and more alienated without understanding the importance of the faith in Yahweh in the lives of the people.
Luke 13:4-5: In support of His thinking, Jesus comments
on more than one event.
Jesus takes the initiative of commenting on another event. A blizzard causes the tower of Siloam to crumble and eighteen people are crushed by the stones. People thought that it was “a punishment from God!” Jesus’ comment is: “No, I tell you, but unless you repent you will all perish as they did”. His concern is to interpret events in such a way that God’s call to change and conversion becomes transparent. Jesus is a mystic, a contemplative. He reads events in a different way. He can read and interpret the signs of the times. For Him, the world is transparent, revealing the presence and call of God.
Jesus takes the initiative of commenting on another event. A blizzard causes the tower of Siloam to crumble and eighteen people are crushed by the stones. People thought that it was “a punishment from God!” Jesus’ comment is: “No, I tell you, but unless you repent you will all perish as they did”. His concern is to interpret events in such a way that God’s call to change and conversion becomes transparent. Jesus is a mystic, a contemplative. He reads events in a different way. He can read and interpret the signs of the times. For Him, the world is transparent, revealing the presence and call of God.
Luke 13:6-9: The parable of the fig tree that bears no
fruit.
Jesus then tells the parable of the fig tree that bears no fruit. A man had planted a fig tree in his vineyard. For three years the tree bore no fruit. So he says to his vinedresser: “Cut it down”. But the vinedresser replies: “Leave it one more year….it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down”. We do not know whether Jesus told this parable immediately after His comments on the massacre and the crumbling of the tower of Siloam. It was probably Luke who placed this parable here, because Luke sees a connection between the comments on the events and the parable of the fig tree. Luke does not say what this connection is. He leaves us to discover this. What meaning does Luke see? I shall dare to give an opinion. You may discover another meaning. The owner of the vineyard and of the fig tree is God. The fig tree represents the people. Jesus is the vinedresser. The owner of the vineyard has grown tired of looking for fruit from the fig tree and finding none. He decides to uproot the tree. Thus there will be more room for another plant that may bear fruit. The chosen people were not producing the fruit that God expected. He wants to pass on the Good News to the pagans. Jesus is the vinedresser who asks that the fig tree be spared a little longer. He will redouble His efforts to obtain a change and a conversion. Later in the Gospel, Jesus recognizes that His redoubled efforts have borne no result. They will not be converted. Jesus mourns the lack of conversion and weeps over the city of Jerusalem. (Lk 19:41-44).
Jesus then tells the parable of the fig tree that bears no fruit. A man had planted a fig tree in his vineyard. For three years the tree bore no fruit. So he says to his vinedresser: “Cut it down”. But the vinedresser replies: “Leave it one more year….it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down”. We do not know whether Jesus told this parable immediately after His comments on the massacre and the crumbling of the tower of Siloam. It was probably Luke who placed this parable here, because Luke sees a connection between the comments on the events and the parable of the fig tree. Luke does not say what this connection is. He leaves us to discover this. What meaning does Luke see? I shall dare to give an opinion. You may discover another meaning. The owner of the vineyard and of the fig tree is God. The fig tree represents the people. Jesus is the vinedresser. The owner of the vineyard has grown tired of looking for fruit from the fig tree and finding none. He decides to uproot the tree. Thus there will be more room for another plant that may bear fruit. The chosen people were not producing the fruit that God expected. He wants to pass on the Good News to the pagans. Jesus is the vinedresser who asks that the fig tree be spared a little longer. He will redouble His efforts to obtain a change and a conversion. Later in the Gospel, Jesus recognizes that His redoubled efforts have borne no result. They will not be converted. Jesus mourns the lack of conversion and weeps over the city of Jerusalem. (Lk 19:41-44).
c) Further information:
A short history of the popular resistance against the Romans in
Jesus’ time
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Luke makes clear allusions to the
repression of the Roman legions against the popular resistance of the
Galileans. Hence we give a schematic overview of the popular resistance of
Judeans against the Roman domination. Over the years this resistance grew
deeper and took root in the faith of the people. Here is an outline that runs
parallel with Jesus’ life:
i) From 63 to 37 before Christ: A popular revolt
without any clear direction. In 63 before Christ, the Roman Empire
invaded Palestine and imposed a peasant tribute. From 57 to 37, in just 20
years, six rebellions broke out in Galilee! The people, aimless, followed
anyone who promised to liberate them from the Roman tribute.
ii) From 37 to 4 before Christ: Repression and
dislocation. This is the time of the government of Herod, calledThe
Great. He is the one who killed the innocents in Bethlehem (Mt 2:16).
Brutal repression prevented any kind of popular manifestation. Herod thus
promoted the so-called Pax Romana. This peace gave the Empire a
certain economic stability, but for the oppressed people it was the peace of a
cemetery.
iii) From 4 to 6 after Christ: Messianic revolutions. This
is the period of Archelaus’ government in Judea. On the day he took power, he
massacred 3000 people in the Temple square. The revolution exploded all over
the country, but it was aimless. The popular leaders at this time were seeking
for motives connected with ancient tradition and presented themselves as
messianic kings. The Roman repression destroyed Seforis, the capital of
Galilee. Violence was the mark of Jesus’ childhood. In the ten years of
Archelaus’ government, He saw Palestine go through one of the most violent
periods of its history.
iv) From 6 to 27: Zeal for the law: A time for revision.
In the year 6, Romulus deposed Archelaus and transformed Judea into a Roman
Province, decreeing a census so as to make sure that the tribute was paid. The
census produced a strong popular reaction inspired by Zeal for the Law.
This Zeal (hence the term zealots)urged people to boycott and not
pay the tribute. This was a new form of resistance, a kind of civil
disobedience that spread like a repressed fire under embers. However, Zeal had
a limited vision. The "zealots" ran the danger of
reducing the observance of the Law to opposition to the Romans. It was
precisely during this period that Jesus grew in awareness of His mission.
v) From 27 to 69: The prophets reappear. After
these 20 years, from 6 to 26, the revision of the aim of the journey appears
with the preaching of the prophets who represented a step forward in the
popular movement. The prophets called the people together and invited them to
conversion and change. They wanted to reform history from its origins. They
gathered the people in the desert (Mk 1:4), to begin a new exodus, proclaimed
by Isaiah (Isa 43:16-21). The first was John the Baptist (Mt 11:9; 14:5; Lk
1:76), who drew many people (Mt 3:5-7). Soon after, Jesus came on the scene and
was considered by the people to be a prophet (Mt 16:14;21:11,46; Lk 7:16).
Jesus, like Moses, proclaimed the New Law on the mountain (Mt 5:1) and
nourished the people in the desert (Mk 6:30-44). Like the fall of the walls of
Jericho towards the end of the forty years in the desert (Is 6:20), so also,
Jesus proclaimed the fall of the walls of Jerusalem (Lk 19:44; Mt 24:2). Like
the prophets of old, Jesus proclaimed the liberation of the oppressed and the
beginning of a new jubilee year (Lk 4:18-19), and
asked for a change in the way of life (Mk 1:15; Lk 13:3.5).
There are other prophets after Jesus. That is why revolution, messianism and zeal continue
to exist simultaneously. The authorities of the time, Romans and Herodians, as
also priests, scribes and Pharisees, all concerned with the security of the
temple and the nation (Jn 11:48) and with the observance of the law (Mt
23:1-23), could not see the difference between prophets and
other popular leaders. For them they were all the same. They mistook Jesus for
a messianic king (Lk 23:2.5). Gamaliel, the great doctor of the law, for
instance, compared Jesus with Judas, leader of the revolutionaries (Acts
5:35-37). Flavius Josephus himself, the historian, mistook the prophets for
"thieves and impostors". Today we would say that they were all
"good for nothing"!
6. Praying Psalm 82 (81)
God warns human authorities
God takes His stand in the divine assembly,
surrounded by the gods He gives judgment.
surrounded by the gods He gives judgment.
'How much longer will you give unjust judgments
and uphold the prestige of the wicked?
Let the weak and the orphan have justice,
be fair to the wretched and the destitute.
'Rescue the weak and the needy,
save them from the clutches of the wicked.
and uphold the prestige of the wicked?
Let the weak and the orphan have justice,
be fair to the wretched and the destitute.
'Rescue the weak and the needy,
save them from the clutches of the wicked.
'Ignorant and uncomprehending,
they wander in darkness,
while the foundations of the world are tottering.
I had thought, "Are you gods,
are all of you sons of the Most High?"
No! you will die as human beings do,
as one man, princes, you will fall.'
they wander in darkness,
while the foundations of the world are tottering.
I had thought, "Are you gods,
are all of you sons of the Most High?"
No! you will die as human beings do,
as one man, princes, you will fall.'
Arise, God,
judge the world,
for all nations belong to You.
judge the world,
for all nations belong to You.
7. Final Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank You for the word that has enabled us to
understand better the will of the Father. May Your Spirit enlighten our actions
and grant us the strength to practice what Your Word has revealed to us. May
we, like Mary, Your mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word. You
who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and
ever. Amen.
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