2022-Mar-20: Third Sunday in Lent

 

Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15

Moses was tending the sheep of his Midianite father-in-law near Mt Herob aka Mt Sinai (symbolising the abode of Gods) far away from his own people, when he encounters an unquenchable burning bush that strangely was not consumed (symbolising God's unending grace). Fire is a common biblical symbol of God’s presence (Genesis 15:17; Exodus 14:24; 19:18; Leviticus 10:2; see also Acts 2:3). 

God instructs Moses to remove the sandals from his feet (a gesture that is an ancient practice when entering a holy place of divine presence and also entering one's home) as he approaches God. 

By seeking out Moses in the wilderness, God shows that meets us wherever we might be, even when we are not where we want or expect to be, God adapts and accommodates us nonetheless. 

When asked how Moses should sent him, God replies “I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE.” - in Hebrew (ehyeh asher ehyeh) which has been translated in many variations including "I can be whatever I can be". 

This divine name, beyond being a name also assures us of God's omnipresence, is built on the Hebrew verb “to be” or “Yahweh,” or YHWH (without vowels since God's name is deemed so holy it may not be pronounced outside prayer or worship)

Psalm 103 of David

This is one among 73 psalms attributed to David in the Old Testament hymn book. 

Verse one of Psalm 103, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name” has inspired musical arrangements including the popular praise song by Andrae Crouch, “Bless the Lord, O my soul … He has done great things.”

Psalm 103, an individual psalm of thanksgiving, has two distinct elements: 

First a hymn of praise: Don’t Forget What God has Done for You! (103:1-5) for his majesty, steadfast love, mercy, and justice, rescue, deliverance, and healing.

Second a call for praise. Amazing Grace (103:6-18)

1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12

In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul reminds people of their forefather's follies in the Exodus to warn them of danger of self-dependence and arrogance. 

In crafting his letter, Paul responds to reports of list of issues the Corinthians raised: marriage and singleness (7:1-40), eating food offered to idols (8:1-10:33), worship (11:1-34), spiritual gifts (12:1-14:40), the resurrection (15:1-58), and the collection for the saints (16:1-4).

Paul coins the phrase "Baptism by Moses" to invoked the image of "Baptism into Christ by water and the Holy Spirit". He extends the image by saying the Israelis continue to derive sustenance from stream that flowed from the Rock at Herob, “the rock was the Christ” (10:4).1

Paul ends with a reassuring message that in the face of temptation, God will provide a way out, strengthening and equipping them to bear it, so we do not fall.

Luke 13:1-9

The event people question Jesus about refers to Governor Pilate’s execution of Galileans during some ritual practice. Pilate represents the repressive Roman regime. Not only did he slaughter Jesus' fellow Galileans but Pilate then mixed Galileans blood with those of the sacrificial animals violating and mocking Galilean ritual practice.

Luke may be bringing this up to foretell the act of Pilate condemning Jesus to death on the cross thereby spilling Galilean blood on the Jewish ritual practice of the Passover.

But rather than condemn Pilate, Jesus challenges popular understandings of divine retribution of reward/punishment based on the Torah that presumed punishments, especially catastrophes, were proportionate to the crime or sin. Jesus dismisses this common misconception. Mainly because God is all loving and all-forgiving not revenge seeking. Secondly, bad events occur that are not a result of the person's iniquity but the murderous intent of Roman occupiers or by random chance as in the collapse of the Tower of Siloam that resulted in the tragic death of 18 bystanders - just as Jesus himself would suffer for no fault of his.

FYI, this question of divine reward/punishment also comes up when the crowd ask Jesus about a blind man, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?” (John 9:2). Jesus replied that neither the man nor his parents had sinned so as to cause the blindness. Unfortunately this question of the vengeful justice of God (theodicy) persists to the present day. To think that human suffering is due to divine punishment for sin, or perhaps to some unknown flaw or secret misdeed, is simply wrong albeit too familiar. 

Jesus asks the crowd to repent which is to change their sinful ways and return to the Lord who will give them the grace to face all their problems. This message of repentance is reinforced in Acts 2:37-38. After Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost, the crowd asks, “What should we do?” Peter replies, “Repent, and be baptized … and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” 

Jesus then quotes the parable of the unproductive fig tree - which was barren for three years (3 years signifies adulthood in case of animals and trees). The owner wants to have it cut down but the gardener pleads for a year's grace period to see if the tree can be made productive possibly by using proper growing techniques of pruning and fertilizing.

Jesus’ message is clear: do not be like the fruitless tree - just because you continue to live does not mean you are productive in the eyes of the Lord - we need to repent and adopt a perspective pleasing to God. 

Rather than focus on the gravity of others’ transgressions (bad fruits), make sure you are producing good fruit - acts of charity and mercy -. Instead of assigning causality to others misfortune, ensure that you are not ignoring your own missing fruit by building on what St Paul calls “the fruit of the Spirit,” which includes love, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, and more (Galatians 5:22-23).