The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to rejoice at the midpoint in Lent that God has so loved the world.
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The reading from the Second Book of Chronicles describes the fall of Jerusalem followed by Cyrus' proclamation of liberty for the exiles in Babylon.
* [36:22–23] These verses are identical with those of Ezr 1:1–3a and were to prevent the work from ending on a note of doom.1
Psalm 137 is a lament over the destruction of Jerusalem.
* [Psalm 137] A singer refuses to sing the people’s sacred songs in an alien land despite demands from Babylonian captors (Ps 137:1–4). The singer swears an oath by what is most dear to a musician—hands and tongue—to exalt Jerusalem always (Ps 137:5–6). The Psalm ends with a prayer that the old enemies of Jerusalem, Edom and Babylon, be destroyed (Ps 137:7–9).2
The reading from the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians praises the generosity of God’s Plan that by grace we have been saved through faith.
* [2:1–10] The recipients of Paul’s letter have experienced, in their redemption from transgressions and sins, the effect of Christ’s supremacy over the power of the devil (Eph 2:1–2; cf. Eph 6:11–12), who rules not from the netherworld but from the air between God in heaven and human beings on earth. Both Jew and Gentile have experienced, through Christ, God’s free gift of salvation that already marks them for a future heavenly destiny (Eph 2:3–7). The language dead, raised us up, and seated us…in the heavens closely parallels Jesus’ own passion and Easter experience. The terms in Eph 2:8–9 describe salvation in the way Paul elsewhere speaks of justification: by grace, through faith, the gift of God, not from works; cf. Gal 2:16–21; Rom 3:24–28. Christians are a newly created people in Christ, fashioned by God for a life of goodness (Eph 2:10).3
In the Gospel of John, Jesus instructs Nicodemus that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.
* [3:14] Lifted up: in Nm 21:9 Moses simply “mounted” a serpent upon a pole. John here substitutes a verb implying glorification. Jesus, exalted to glory at his cross and resurrection, represents healing for all. * [3:15] Eternal life: used here for the first time in John, this term stresses quality of life rather than duration. * [3:16] Gave: as a gift in the incarnation, and also “over to death” in the crucifixion; cf. Rom 8:32.4
Dennis Hamm, S.J. concludes an exegesis on Ephesians Chapter 2 with a prayer for our journey.
Loving God, we want to do our best to grow up in loving you and fellow creatures. But please spare us from thinking that our perfectly reasonable self-improvement projects are what you invite to in the call of this holy season of Lent. Help us to recognize that only you can truly save us. Help walk in the shoes you have fitted so carefully to our uneven feet. Help us desire to be the “poetry” that you can use to help the rest of the human family recognize you in what we do as we walk you path in the way of your Son, Jesus our Lord and savior. You are the source of all gifts and the enabler of all giving.5
Don Schwager quotes “He descended so that we might ascend,” by Hilary of Poitiers, 315-367 A.D.
"God, who loved the world, gave his only begotten Son as a manifest token of his love. If the evidence of his love is this, that he bestowed a creature on creatures, gave a worldly being on the world's behalf, granted one raised up from nothing for the redemption of objects equally raised up from nothing, such a cheap and petty sacrifice is a poor assurance of his favor toward us. Gifts of price are the evidence of affection: the greatness of the surrender is evidence of the greatness of the love. God, who loved the world, gave no adopted son but his own, his only begotten [Son]. Here is personal interest, true sonship, sincerity; not creation, or adoption, or pretence. Here is the proof of his love and affection, that he gave his own, his only begotten Son." (excerpt from ON THE TRINITY 6.40.27)6
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 3:14-21 comments that St. John reminds us that Jesus was sent into the world not to condemn but to save us. He didn’t come to tally up our good deeds and our bad deeds. He came to heal, protect, and rescue us. God sent Jesus to be “lifted up” and to give “eternal life” to all who believe in him. That refers to the story in the Book of Exodus, when the Israelites were being bitten by poisonous snakes for complaining against God. God directed Moses to make a bronze serpent and mount it on a pole so that anyone who looked at it was healed (Numbers 21:4-9).
The salvation Jesus offers us is far greater than the Israelites’ physical healing from snakebites. He heals us spiritually. He forgives us and strengthens us to live differently. He restores us to a right relationship with God. And he gives us a real hope of heaven. So don’t fall into the trap of thinking of Jesus as an accountant. He is not in the business of condemning but of offering salvation. Today, gaze on him, lifted up on the cross. Bring your neediness to him, and let him heal and restore you. “Jesus, help me fix my eyes on you.”7
Friar Jude Winkler fleshes out the punishment of Judea in Babylon and the decree of King Cyrus that applied to all captive nations in Babylon (Isaiah 45). Jesus monologue with Nicodemus refers to lifting up in two meanings from Greek on the Cross or exaltation. Friar Jude notes that in John, Jesus' divinity is most visible at the Crucifixion.
On Laetare Sunday, Sr Gemma of the Franciscans of Halifax, offers a reflection on rejoicing! We are half-way through our journey in the desert. May this reflection bring some of that hope to see us through to the Resurrection we wait eagerly to celebrate at Easter.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, is afraid a small number of people get to the third level, which is universal love;. As we see in politics, in our country, and throughout the world, at best most people just get to the second stage of knowing how to love people who are like them: their race, their nationality, their religion, their political party. When we stay at this second stage of group love, we clearly don’t create a healthy society.
Peter said, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. In any country, whoever fears God and acts uprightly is acceptable” (Acts 10:34–35). At that moment he became both a Jewish and Christian heretic! Peter himself began to recognize that God works with all people of goodwill—not just people in his group. But he had to be pushed there. Little by little, God leads him to universal love.8
We pray to be open to the Love we witness in the lifting up of Jesus on our journey to embrace universal love.
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