The Third Sunday of Lent (Year B)
My homily for the Third Sunday of Lent, preached at St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Reedley, California
As Christmas approaches each year, I have a short list of family and friends for whom I always give gifts. For some of them, it’s easy to decide on their gift. For others—and I know you know what I’m talking about—I just can’t think of anything to give them.
First, there are those friends and family members who are just impossible to buy for. Even if they drop hints about what they might like to have—or even need—it’s hard to settle on the perfect gift for them. Maybe they have very specific hobbies or things they’re interested in. Maybe they are very fussy about what they like… and don’t like. Will she like this board game? Will he like this scarf?
And when it’s all said and done, I realize I have usually spent way too much time and energy trying to find that perfect gift.
On the other hand, there are those friends and family members who seem to have everything! What could I possibly get for them that they need? What gift could I give them that they would even like?
The fact is, trying to find the perfect gift for these kind of people can actually make us feel a little bad about ourselves…
“Why don’t I know them better?”
“This shouldn’t be this hard!”
“Why can’t I figure this out?”
Let’s be honest… it always helps if our friends and family members drop some hints about what they need to want. It’s even better if they are able to just tell us what they would like or what they need.
But what happens when we begin to think about what gifts we give to the One who has given us so much, including all that we are?
“Moses receives the Tablets of Law” by Marc Chagall (1964)
As we heard in the First Reading, taken from the Book of Exodus, God is like that family member or friend who tells us exactly what gift we can give.
Let’s think back on what we heard a few minutes ago…
In the Reading, Moses is standing before God on Mount Sinai. This is all taking place after the exodus, when God freed the Chosen People from slavery in Egypt. And God reminds Moses and the people: “I, the LORD, am your God, / who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.” And then God tells the people what gift they can return for this gift of freedom, this gift of life, this gift of being God’s own Chosen People.
And what was it God said to them?
“If you want to repay this gift I’ve given you, then you should have no other gods, no idols. Love me with your whole being. Honor my name. Keep the Sabbath day holy.”
But then God also tells this Chosen People that to be his children, they must also care for and respect one another:
Honor your father and mother; celebrate those relationships that help define who you are.
Do not kill; respect the gift of life that I have given you.
Honor and respect the marriage covenant.
Respect the rights of others to their own property and what they need for a full life and do not steal from each other.
Love the truth…
Over the centuries, we have come to call the instructions that God gave to the People on the mountain the “Ten Commandments.” Sadly, however, too many of us have come to see these instructions in a negative way—God is just telling us all the things that we aren’t allowed to do.
And I think we all know too many people who see these “Ten Commandments” as the measure for what it means to be a faithful person: “Well, I haven’t killed anyone today, so I’m on my way to heaven.” or “I never robbed a bank, so I’m obviously a good person!”
But remember… what we’re really talking about here is a gift: it is the gift of freedom and life and an identity that God has given to the people. Think back on those words: “I, the LORD, am your God, / who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.”
God is inviting us to remember.
God is inviting us to be faithful.
God doesn’t want us to just be blindly obedient.
God is saying to our spiritual ancestors and to us: Remember all the things I have done for you. Let your memories of my blessings and mercy—let your experiences of my goodness—inspire you to live lives that reflect all the gifts I’ve given to you. That is the gift you can give me in return—use the gifts I’ve given you!
It seems so simple, but there is so much involved.
And this takes us to the Gospel story of Jesus in the temple. It’s a hard story to wrap our minds around, especially because it doesn’t fit the image of Jesus that most of us have in our minds. But what is Jesus doing?
He’s rejecting a system that turns religion—faith—into a business. This is why he cries out, “Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” We can’t bribe God or buy his love and mercy. There isn’t a magic formula for salvation.
Love is always a gift and the only thing God asks of us is that we remember how much we are loved. And because, as I hope we all know, the only thing love asks for is love.
We realize that the only gift—the perfect gift—we can give to God in return is love.
And so, as we continue our journey through the season of Lent, take the time to remember what God has done and is doing for you. And as we say “thank you” for those gifts, we can give God the gift of our love, especially in the love and care we show for each other.
O God, author of every mercy and of all goodness,
who in fasting, prayer and almsgiving
have shown us a remedy for sin,
look graciously on this confession of our lowliness,
that we, who are bowed down by our conscience,
may always be lifted up by your mercy.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
-Collect for the Third Sunday of Lent
