Readings: 2 Chron. 36: 14-16.19-23/ Psa. 137:1-2.3.4-5.6/ Eph. 2: 4-10/ Jn. 3: 14-21

Theme: seek Christ the lig

Today is the fourth Sunday of lent and the second scrutiny for our catechumens preparing for baptism at Easter. Ordinarily, we should have been taking the readings of year A which speak more to the rite. The word of God is indeed a double edged sword and can always speak to any situation. Fortunately, my theme for today’s reflection is Christ, the light of the world which is supposed to be the theme for the fourth Sunday of lent year A. Beloved, all the three readings of today point to a loving God who came in mercy to rescue mankind from a predicament he put himself into. 

The first reading recounts how Yahweh brought liberation to the people of Israel by using a ‘pagan’ Persian King, Cyrus. At least the beginning of the reading tells us how they got themselves into captivity. “All the leading priests and the people were exceedingly unfaithful” as they followed all the abominations of the nations. Israel was surrounded by ‘pagan’ nations with their idol worship and they imitated these nations and abandoned their covenant with Yahweh. 

They were adamant to calls by Yahweh through his prophets to turn back to him till there was no remedy. By the fact that they were no longer faithful to the statutes of Yahweh, they turned and wondered far away from him and thus becameslaves to the Chaldeans in Babylon. Yahweh however gratuitously saved them as he stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia to bring them freedom. This saving act by Yahweh was not based on any merit from the people as it was by sheer grace that they were liberated. It is the same theme we heard about in St. Paul’s letter to the people of Ephesus when he said, “for it is by grace that you have been saved through faith” (Eph. 2:5).  

These readings remind us all of our sorry state and of all mankind until God intervened to bring salvation to us. Adam and Eve pursuit their own desire and thus walked away from God into slavery and we all walk away from him at one point in time or the other. Anytime we desire and pursue the lesser good rather than the highest Good we wonder away from God. Sin is any action that makes us take a step away from the highest Good, God, either to ourselves or something outside of us; sin is always about our desires and appetite. Adam and Eve and indeed all mankind became helpless after wondering away from God and he in his merciful love sent his son to rescue us from our sorry state.

This saving act is purely gratuitous and not based on any merit from us. Anytime we fall short of the glory of God because of our sins, God looks out for us that he might reconcile with us. He always take the first step to look out for us. This is how much God loves us. One might say that s/he goes to the confessional willingly and it is true but it is God who takes the first step to enlighten the sinner to become conscious of the sinand he also offers the grace of humility for one to submit. The differences between the one who goes to the confessional and the one who does not go is a matter of cooperation. God prompts the two but one refuses to cooperate with his grace. God through Christ has reconciled the world to himself and continues to do that every day in the sacrament of reconciliation.

John reiterates this immeasurable love of God in the gospel when he said “for God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” The gospel text of today is a continuation of Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus who came to him under the cover of the night. John the evangelist tells us that Nicodemus, a leading Pharisee and a rabbi went to Jesus in the night. Maybe Nicodemus did not want people to see him go to Jesus but it may be much more than that as he moved in the darkness of his life in search for Christ the light. Christ is the light of all of us who are wondering and stumbling in the darkness of our lives. Are we ready to go out to him like Nicodemus? Our readiness and willingness to acknowledge that we are in darkness and the desire to search for Christ the light demonstrates our preparedness to escape judgement because in Christ the light, it will be seen that our deeds are wrought in God. 

Jesus declares to Nicodemus, a yearning soul, that the son of man will be lifted up just like Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. In other words, Jesus says “the Son of Man will become the remedy to mankind’s predicament just like the bronze serpent was the remedy that cured the snake bites in the wilderness.” The bronze serpent was a sign which inspired faith and belief in Yahweh, the one who ordered that it should be erected, and these, faith and belief ultimately effected healing. Similarly, one must believe in the Son of Man who will lifted up so as to attain eternal life. Thus, to have eternal life is to believe in Jesus whereas failure to believe in him is self-condemnation. Let us pray for our catechumens who thirsted for Christ and found him that they may be closely united to him and serve him in their neighbors.