Third Sunday In Lent

March 15, 2009 Third Sunday of Lent
Reading I Exodus 20:1-17
In those days, God delivered all these commandments: “I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. You shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship them .For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their fathers( wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation; but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments. “You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain. For the LORD will not leave unpunished the one who takes his name in vain. “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD, your God. No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter, or your male or female slave, or your beast, or by the alien who lives with you. In six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD has blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. “Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you. You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass, nor anything else that belongs to him.”

Today's readings presents our Jewish heritage in the proclaiming of the Law, the Ten(10) Commandments, by Moses and by Jesus, traditionally characterized as the second(2nd) Moses. In the first (1st) reading, there are several citations we should emphasize.
1. Although God will punish those who hate (turn their backs on) Him, to the third (3rd) or fourth (4th) generation.
2. His mercy will extend to the just for one thousand (1000) generations about 25,OOO years, on those who love Him and who turn to Him.
We may also notice there's no admonition to attend a service of any kind on the Sabbath. When these passages were written down, during the Babylonian exile, Jews insisted the only legitimate sacrifices were those held in the Temple in Jerusalem.
Our tradition calls for celebrating the Eucharist on Sunday and we should be anxious to comply with the Church's wisdom in this matter. However, don't do just the minimum! It isn't necessary to go to Mass every day. But, we are enjoined to, by the Church and our consciences to love God's and our neighbors every waking moment.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11
R. (John 6:68c) Lord, you have the words of everlasting life. The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul; The decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye. R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just. R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life. They are more precious than gold, than a heap of purest gold; sweeter also than syrup or honey from the comb. R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

Psalm 19 is a short version of Psalm 119. It reminds us of our obligation to know God's Word. Whether the Word comes to us as Laws, Decrees, Ordinances, Precepts, Commands, or Statutes, all of them are just; and, the words are the formulae for everlasting life as the response reiterates.

Reading II 1 Corinthians 1:22-25
Brothers and sisters: Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength”.

Paul contrasts the wisdom and omnipotence of God to the vapidity of godlessness or indifference. While some of Paul's opponents thought Christ's Crucifixion was a sign of folly and weakness, in reality, it is wiser than human wisdom ands stronger than human strength.

Gospel John 2:13-25
Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, “ Zeal for your house will consume me”. At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. Therefore, when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken. While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, many began to believe in his name when they saw the signs he was doing. But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well.

The Gospel of John places the episode of the Temple cleansing at the beginning of Christ's ministry. Here was gentle and meek Jesus, upsetting the status quo; going against accepted values. As Paul pointed out, the Jews wanted a sign. However, they never expected the sign of resurrection to be cast in their faces. Using the metaphor of the Temple's destruction to focus on His crucifixion, collectively, they laughed at Him. They took His words literally and compared the time to build the physical House of worship, forty-six(45) years, as the standard by which He would be judged.
Are we the Jews of today? Do we wonder when God will zap the evil doers, but not us, of course? However, rather than measure our worth by the many covenants we ascribe to but the ones we defer to later or never. In doing so, we jeopardize the gift of salvation by omission as well as commission!