REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS CLOSE AT HAND(Exodus 3:1-8,13-15/Psalm 103:1-4,6-7,11/1 Corinthians 10:1-6,10-12/Luke 13:1-9)

REPENT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS CLOSE AT HAND

(Sunday March 24, 2019 Third Sunday of Lent)

The first reading today presents us with the call of Moses. The call of Moses was a significant one indeed. All of us know the circumstances that surrounded the birth of Moses and how he ran away from the land of Egypt to Median and to the house of Jethro his father-in-law. In this reading today, Moses was called by God despite all his shortcomings and weaknesses. Moses may not be the best to embark on the mission of delivering the chosen people from the hands of Pharaoh and the Egyptians but God called him. A lesson we should learn here is that God is the only one who calls to qualify. He calls not only to qualify but also to equip one. What we need to do is to make ourselves available all the time.

We see in this reading that God called Moses and he responded immediately without delay, showing that he is ever ready to work with God. In our own little way, how often do we make ourselves available in the work of God? On the side of God, we have to learn here that whatever condition we may be experiencing, God knows them. All we have to do is to wait on God. Listen to what God told Moses “I have seen the miserable state of my people in Egypt. I have heard their appeal to be free of their slave-drivers. Yes, I am well aware of their sufferings. I mean to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians and bring them up out of that land to a land rich and broad, a land where milk and honey flow” If God attended to the cries of His chosen people, be rest assured that He will attend to yours because you are also His chosen one.

The second reading and the gospel share things in common. It is all about warning on how to cease from doing bad and embrace the way that leads to life, if not those things that happen in the past for those who refused to listen to the word of God, may likely repeat itself on us. Like in the case of the Chosen people, St. Paul in this reading so much emphasized that despite the fact that they enjoyed all the good things that came from the hands of God, they decided to sin against Him. God indeed warned them and gave them chances to turn from their wickedness yet they proved stubborn and the wrath of God fell upon them and none of them was able to reach the promise land. It was God’s intention for them to reach the promise land so as to worship Him there but their sins and wickedness, and their disobedience prevented them from getting there. St. Paul said “These things all happened as warnings for us, not to have the wicked lusts for forbidden things that they had. You must never complain: some of them did, and they were killed by the Destroyer. All this happened to them as a warning, and it was written down to be a lesson for us who are living at the end of the age. The man who thinks he is safe must be careful that he does not fall.

The same warning is what Christ repeated severally in the gospel of today. Christ's tone of expression today was a bit harsh in response to his audience, He says “Do you suppose these Galileans who suffered like that were greater sinners than any other Galileans? They were not, I tell you... Or those eighteen on whom the tower at Siloam fell and killed them? Do you suppose that they were more guilty than all the other people living in Jerusalem? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did. This is indeed a serious warning for each and every one of us. God can never be happy after giving us His word every now and then and we remain stiff necked and refuse to change. That He allows us to live despite our sins and wicked ways does not imply that He is happy with our waywardness. Most often we take God’s leniency, love and mercy for granted. That God is not treating us according to our sins is just a privilege and grace given to us to work out our salvation in fear and trembling. Let us not in any way abuse these privileges and opportunities.

We who are alive today should not see it that it is because of our righteousness or that those who have gone before us are the worse or the most unfortunate set of people. No they were not as Christ said. The parable Christ told in this gospel today is a full explanation of how God is expecting something from us, to always bear good fruits using the graces, His words that come to us every day and the love He lavishes upon us in season out of season. The owner of the fig tree was highly disappointed and wanted to cut the tree down because of its inability to produce any fruit. At times that is how God feels with us when after listening to His word and we fail to bear good fruits.

Let this Lenten period be another opportunity given to us to better our relationship with God. Let this Holy period be manure that will nourish us and make us better persons so that when next God visits to take fruits from us, He will find something, not bad fruits but good ones.

Let Us Pray: Lord Jesus, give me the grace to repent of my sins and to seek your face always so that I will be able to bear good fruits for you.