God so loved the world
Fourth Sunday of Lent - Year B
2 Chronicles 36:14-16,19-23; Ephesians 2:4-10; John 3:14-21
At the heart of today's liturgy of the Word are God's love and mercy. "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). The purpose of Jesus' coming into the world is to lead us to faith that saves us from eternal death. Unfortunately, many reject this love, and the consequences are tragic. "Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God"(John 3:18).
The first reading shows where a constant rejection of God's call to conversion leads to. The year 586 BC is one of the most tragic dates in the history of the chosen people - the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity. How could this happen? On the one hand, God's mercy is manifested in sending “the messengers of God” to the people, but on the other hand, three verbs describe the hardness of the human heart: to mock, to despise, and to scoff. "But they mocked the messengers of God, despised his warnings, and scoffed at his prophets, " (2 Chron. 36:16).
The year 586 BC can be regarded as a symbol. It is the year that crowns our subsequent decisions to fall into the darkness of sin. "And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light because their works were evil." (John 3:19). When we reject the call to conversion, our inner sanctuary gets destroyed and we become slaves to sin. But God, rich in mercy, does not want us to remain in such a condition forever. “Fallen, fallen is Babylon” (Is. 21:9) Isaiah announced the end of the evil empire that took place in 539 BC. Then a year later, the Persian king Cyrus issued an edict allowing Jews to return to their homes and rebuild the house of God. Christians find here another symbolic meaning. The Cross of Christ has defeated the power of evil; in Jesus Christ, God the Father issued ‘the edict of forgiveness’ freeing us from the slavery of sin. We are free, we come back to God and rebuild God's temple in our hearts. Will we do it?
Ephesians are an example for us. When the Good News of Jesus Christ reached them, they believed and received baptism, namely the seal of the Holy Spirit as a pledge of eternal salvation. Saint Paul compares the reception of the Gospel to the resurrection - our sins caused death, our faith in Jesus brought us back to life. We did not deserve this act of grace in any way. The grace of salvation that flows to us in Jesus Christ is a sign of God's immense love for humanity. God creates us anew. Until now, we lived “fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, like the rest” (Eph. 2:3). But now we are beginning a life that is characterized by doing good deeds prepared for us by God.
Forty-eight years passed between 586 and 538 BC, forty-eight years of exile and slavery. And how long have you been away from God and the Church, living in the bondage of sin? Are you really happy with such a life? Today, God offers you the opportunity to regain your freedom and return to the Church - the new Jerusalem. Do not delay this decision anymore. You have been away from home long enough. The time has come for a new life in Christ. "Go up" to the Church and may the Lord, your God, who loves you with boundless love, be with you (2 Chron. 36:23).