Sunday Reflections
2nd Sunday of Lent year B
Sacrifice is another name for Love
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 9:2-10
1.Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone by themselves. There in their presence he was transfigured: his clothes became dazzlingly white, whiter than any earthly bleacher could make them. Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. Then Peter spoke to Jesus: ‘Rabbi,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what to say; they were so frightened. And a cloud came, covering them in shadow; and there came a voice from the cloud, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.’ Then suddenly, when they looked round, they saw no one with them any more but only Jesus.
As they came down from the mountain he warned them to tell no one what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They observed the warning faithfully, though among themselves they discussed what ‘rising from the dead’ could mean.
2. Today’s readings unfold an important element in our relationship with God, namely that love and sacrifice are inseparable. There can be no love without sacrifice and no sacrifice is possible without love. Ghandi listed religion without sacrifice as one of the seven sins of modern man. In the first reading, (Gen 22:1-18)God called Abraham when he was already retiring from active life at the age of 75. Answering this call was a great sacrifice because he had to give up his country, family, friends and culture to follow God to an unknown destination. Fifteen years later, Abraham was still roaming without inheritance or descendant. God was delaying in keeping his promise. When he finally blessed Abraham with a son at the age of 90, he asked him to sacrifice this son on burnt offering to him. Because Abraham loved and trusted God, he took his son and was ready to slaughter him in sacrifice to God. It was at this point that God came out clearly and blessed him: “Because you have done this… I will indeed bless you, and I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand on the sea shore…and by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves.”
3. From this episode we can see that when one goes extra mile for God, God goes even more miles for him/her. We can also see that when God demands for a sacrifice it is not because he needs it but because he wants to pour his blessings upon the one who accepts to make the sacrifice. God waited for Abraham to have a son before asking him to sacrifice him. God cannot ask us to give him what he has not given to us. He cannot ask us to do what he has not given us the capacity to do.
4. In Abraham who gave up his son to God in order to prove his love and trust for God we see the true image of God the Father who so loved the world that he gave his only son as the prove of his love (Jn3:16). He sent Jesus into the world to teach humanity about God and then die to redeem humanity. When Jesus began his earthly ministry he won the admiration of many who willingly followed him hoping that he will establish a political kingdom on earth. Towards the end of his mission he announced to them that he will be killed like a criminal. They were confused and scandalized. He understood their problem and offered them opportunity to stand firm by taking three of his disciples to Mount Tabor where in their presence he was transfigured.
5. God demanded a great sacrifice from Abraham asking for his only son. He made even greater demand from Jesus, asking him to give up not his son but his own life. Certainly it was not easy for him. At Gethsemane Jesus struggle to accept the will of his Father: “Father, may your will be done.” Here we see how love is proved through sacrifice and how sacrifice is possible because of love. Today, God is making the same demand of sacrifice from all who love him. Love should not be empty word. True love entails giving up things. We need to give up something to prove our love for wife, husband, siblings or friends? What is that one thing that must be given up? What we need to give up may not be big things, it might just be an unnatural attachment to a substance, a behaviour, a place or a thing. In the gospel of St. Matthew 19:16ff, a rich young man came to Jesus and asked to know what to do so as to win heaven. Jesus told to keep the commandments. He affirmed that from childhood he has had no problem with the commandments. He then asked: “what do I still need to give up?” Jesus said: “Go, sell all you have, give the money to the poor then come and follow me.” The man went away sorrowful. Yes you may be keeping the commandments but you still need to give up something to prove your love to God and others.
6. In accepting to make sacrifices,you should know that if God is with you no none can stand against you and succeed (2nd reading Rom8:31-34). If you sacrifice all to have God, you will still be rich. Have the courage to prove your love for God by making a great sacrifice of giving up something dear to you which blocks you from focusing on Jesus. At the end of the transfiguration, the disciples at Mount Tabor saw no one else but Jesus. The cloud was gone, Moses and Elijah were gone. Only Jesus remained. Everything in life will go one day but only Jesus will remain so focus on him, listen to him.
