Sunday Reflections
4th Sunday of Lent year B
Laetare Sunda
God does not give up on anyone
1. ✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 3:14-21
Jesus said to Nicodemus: ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved. No one who believes in him will be condemned; but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already, because he has refused to believe in the name of God’s only Son. On these grounds is sentence pronounced: that though the light has come into the world men have shown they prefer darkness to the light because their deeds were evil. And indeed, everybody who does wrong hates the light and avoids it, for fear his actions should be exposed; but the man who lives by the truth comes out into the light, so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God.’
2. The last chapter of the second Chronicle (36:14-23) which is today’s first reading gave a resume of God’s relationship with Israel. Israel is described as God’s work of art (Eph 2:4-20, today’s second reading). God was much in love with Israel that even when Israel refused to obey his words, God continued to send them his prophets to warn them of the evil consequences of their action. They mocked and killed the prophets and continued in their evil ways until evil caught up with them and they reaped the harvest of their disobedience through war and exile. For seventy years they paid for their sin in exile. But God did not abandon them. At the end of seventy years he inspired Cyrus the pagan king to restore them to Jerusalem and rebuild the city. God never gave up on them.
3. It is this theme of boundless love of God that we see in today’s gospel. In his discussion with Nicodemus, Jesus spoke of three things to buttress the ineffable love of God for the sinful world. He alluded to the bronze serpent that Moses raised in the desert as remedy for death from the poisonous snake bite. When the people disobeyed God he punished them by sending a snake whose bite gives an instant death. But seeing their tears he decided to give them a remedy (Numb21:8-9). Jesus, like the snake will be raised up on the cross as remedy from death caused by sin such that any sinner that looks up to him will be saved. God did not give up on sinful Israel in the desert. He refuses to give up on sinful humanity.
4. Jesus spoke of the eternal love of the Father: “God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that whoever believes in him will never perish but will have eternal life.” If God does not give up on those who sinned against him, he cares more for those who believes in him to the point of being ready to give his life for their salvation. The cross remains an undeniable sign that God loves the world. This is an invitation to persevere in doing good. We should not remain in sin even if this brings abundant grace (Rom6:1) because love abounds more than grace when God is loved and obeyed.
5. Finally Jesus spoke of the judgement that is upon those who refuse to believe, those who spurn God’s love. God will not judge them but their choosing darkness instead of light is already their condemnation. Here Jesus maintained that it is in God’s nature to love and not to condemn. If anyone is to be condemned, it will only be the result of his or her deliberate choice.
6. Like God, you are invited today to learn not to give up on anyone. You can easily give up on sinners, on school drop outs, on drug addicts or alcoholics. You are wrong if you do so under the pretext that the person is not worth caring for. When Jesus died for the world, we were still sinners. He died not because we are worthy but rather because we are not worth dying for. If you have a relation who is an addict the worst thing to do is to give up on him or her. It is necessary to think like God and multiply opportunities of salvation for such persons. You should know that addiction is a disease and every sick person needs a doctor. In this case such persons need not only medical doctors but also spiritual doctors to accompany them. You can do more than condemn such persons. You can be more gentle, more loving and more prayerful to help them to receive their healing. Never give up on anybody.
