Third Sunday Of Lent
LUKE 13:1>9
The gospel reading begins with a report to Jesus about a gruesome event: "Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices." The temple of the Lord in Jerusalem was the only place Jews could offer sacrifice to God. Galilee was in northern Palestine. These unfortunates may have come south to Jerusalem on one of the great pilgrimage festivals -Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles. The context into which Luke places this report helps us to understand what he is teaching. The previous chapter dealt with the necessity of Christians to be watchful "for the return of the Son of man at an unexpected hour." In this way Luke warns readers and hearers to be ready for the return of Jesus at any and all times. This context leads into discussion in today's gospel about people who die unexpectedly and idlers who waste the time God gives them.
Luke's catechesis begins with the example cited above. At the command of Pontius Pilate his troops violently attacked some Galileans fulfilling their religious duties in Jerusalem. The most likely time for such violence would have been on one of the pilgrimage festivals. With the crowds descending on Jerusalem came also political unrest. Pilate usually lived up north in Caesarea in his palace by the sea. On the pilgrimage festivals he came to Jerusalem with his troops. The presence of the Romans reminded Jews that they were not free. Their presence therefore caused political unrest but also controlled it. Nothing is known about this particular incident, but it is known that Pilate sometimes used murderous methods to control the nationalist/religious fervor of pilgrimage crowds.
Jesus asks, "Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered in this way?" He answers his own question, "No way! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you also will perish, just as they perished," that is, unexpectedly. The lesson is clear. Live in repentance so that you are ready to meet your judgment at all times. Jesus asks again, "What about the eighteen people killed when the tower of Siloam collapsed? Do you think they were worse sinners than all others who lived in Jerusalem at the time? No way!. But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will perish as they did," that is, unexpectedly, without time for repentance. Along with God's forgiveness, repentance is a major theme of Luke's gospel. Today he emphasizes repentance. Next Sunday he will emphasize God's forgiveness responding to repentance in the parable of the prodigal son.
Luke adds a parable about someone who planted a fig tree in a vineyard. For three years he returned to the vineyard to collect fruit from the tree, but there was none. He instructed his gardener to cut the tree down. The gardener replied, "Sir, leave it for this year also until I dig around it and apply manure. It may yet produce fruit. If not, you can cut it down." Let us ignore the translation "Sir" and translate as "Lord," as Luke may have intended when he wrote the Greek word Kyrie to address the owner of the vineyard. Luke is usually heavily influenced by the Old Testament. He is aware that in Isaiah 5 it is the Lord God who is said to plant a vineyard, seek fruit from it, and destroy it when it remains fruitless. As the Lord God in the Old Testament was sometimes deterred from threatened punishment by intercession or prayer, so also in the New Testament. One lesson to be drawn from this little parable is the power of prayer for the "fruitless."
EXODUS 3:l-8a, 13-15
Moses, a prince of Egypt, adopted as a foundling child by the Pharaoh's daughter, is no longer enjoying the pleasures of royalty. He had killed an Egyptian who was attacking a Hebrew slave. Moses had to flee into the Sinai wilderness. There he met and married Zipporah (English: Twittering Bird). His father-in-law Jethro employed Moses as a shepherd. With Jethro9 s flock Moses approached Mt. Horeb (another name for Sinai). The Lord appeared to him in a bush on fire. The Lord identifies himself as "the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob." God informs Moses that he intends to use him to rescue the chosen people. Moses is concerned that he will be asked, "What is the name of the God who sent you?" The answer, "This is what you shall tell the Israelites, "I AM sent me to you'.... This is my name forever." It became the sacred name which the Israelites/Jews never pronounce, nor is its pronunciation certain. Two possibilities: Yahweh or Jehovah.
1 CORINTHIANS 10:1-6. 10-12
Paul's recent Greek/Corinthian converts had not given up their custom of visiting pagan temples, sharing in banquets to honor heathen gods, and joining in the orgiastic activity which sometimes followed the banquets. Paul issues a solemn warning. Like the Corinthian Christians, the ancient Israelites were also God's people. Strangely he notes, "They were baptized into Moses... .M They ate the spiritual food (the manna). They drank the spiritual drink from the rock which flowed with water. This did not stop God from punishing them when they fell into idolatry. The Corinthians were baptized into Christ, ate the sacred food (the body of the Lord), drank the sacred drink (the blood of the Lord), yet they fall into idolatry. To summarize Paul's warning: "Let a word to the wise be sufficient."
