Third Sunday of Lent

Third Sunday of Lent - C March 11, 2007

Exodus 3: 1-8a, 13-15 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 13-15 Luke 13: 1-9

A very wise individual whom I have had the good fortune to know in this life once was in the process of trying to figure out how best to use the talents and abilities which he had received from God in a manner that would be a fitting expression of himself. He wanted to channel the abilities that he recognized in himself in the best possible manner so that he might both give honor and glory to God and benefit the others whom he might encounter throughout his life. In doing this, he made use of the expression “looking for the burning bush.” The insight which he gave to me to what we heard today in the reading from the Book of Exodus has stayed with me all these years.

The comment of this individual pointed out that the encounter which Moses had with God, the mystical experiences which is recalled, genuinely transformed him, changed him for life. In experiencing God in this event, Moses learned that God was “I am.” God was not “I was” or “I will be,” God was “I am.” God was with us always, at all times, in all places. It is our limitations which place God in the past, in the present, or in the future. The unlimited reality of God is now and then, always here and now. We may limit God, but those are our limitations. Plain and simple, God is.

In some respects I knew that my friend was looking for some sort of magical answer, a clear sign or message that told him “This is what you are to do.” In a way, this is how the story is told about Moses. The reality which we encounter, and that which slowly became apparent to this friend, was that it was not the burning bush that was important. It is only a sign, a gesture. What is more important is to realize God’s continuous presence with us affects the whole of our lives. God is abiding, God is unchanging, God is constant.

In varying ways we can all think of ourselves in terms of looking for a clear sign. We can, for example, think of the stories Jesus is telling his followers in the gospel passage we heard today. In a way, we might think of these stories as being unusual or strange. They are different from what we might consider the usual approach Jesus takes. They are tragic stories, but they appear to refer to some type of historical events which happened at the time of Jesus. Just because they are tragic, they are not, in and of themselves, reasons for change. They are not to be viewed as threats in some way necessitating change or what we might call “messages of God” that demand an instantaneous response. This sort of response is often superficial or transitory, like the response to a fig tree that is not producing fruit. Since it is not “working” we must get rid of it.

What Jesus is seeking in his followers and in us is a constant and continuous process of growth and development, a continual process of fertilization of mind and heart that brings about a true change or conversion or development.

Two things are needed to accomplish this as we continue on our journey through this season of Lent toward a deep and genuine renewal of our Faith at Easter. First we need a firm and unwavering commitment to God, to God’s life, God’s reality in our lives. We need to realize the full meaning of God’s definition of “I AM.” God is with us in all aspects of our lives and affects all aspects of our lives. There is no limitation of God to time or place. We can experience God’s presence here in this place, in our prayer and worship. But this is but a brief moment in the whole of our week. God is present, is a part of our lives throughout the week. “I AM” here, there, wherever here and there might be, wherever we might be.

Second, we need to exercise a constant discipline of this Faith. We must have an outlook on life, a practiced inclination to recognize God’s life as a fundamental part of our lives. I am and am to be an image of God, a reflection of God, at all times. “Godliness,” the image or reflection of God is to be found in each of us at all times, in all places, in all that is said, done, or even thought. This is the constant effort of growth and fertilization, the effort to bear fruit.

It is in this light that we can hear Paul’s advice to his listeners or readers and to us. In pointing to the similarities between the Chosen People old and ourselves, he reminds us that we are always on a journey in life. Life is a continual process in which we should never feel ourselves totally successful or secure. We never “have it made” and thus must continue to make the effort to improve.