SUNDAY MARCH 10, 2024
SUNDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT B
2Chronicles 36:14-16,19-23
Ephesians 2:4-10
John 3: 14-21
IN THE CROSS IS OUR SALVATION: A CALL TO LIVE UP TO THE VALUES OF THE CROSS
Have you ever wondered why we adorn ourselves, our homes and our places with the cross or crucifix? It is because the crucifix is a symbol of the victory of Christ. Before the death of Christ, death on the cross was an abomination and a sign of curse to the person and the family of the person. But Jesus chose this cruel death to save us in order to take up our condemnation, to assume our punishment, to raise us up from the debasement of our lives and exchange it for the divine life, the saving mysteries that we could not have given ourselves. So by Jesus’ condemnation and death, we were brought our redemption.
The cross or the crucifix therefore became a symbol of our victory over death, over sin and over the powers in the world. That is what the gospel reminds us today. Nichodemus, a leading member of the Sanhedrin went to Jesus at night to inquire from him what he needed to do to be at peace with God. Nichodemus recognizes in Jesus the messiah and the great teacher different from all others.
His enquiry was attends to. Jesus instructed that he believes in him. He tells Nichodemus, ““As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” And going further, Jesus talks on the great love of God his Father as he says, “” 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. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. And this is the judgement.., ”
This encounter takes a rather dramatic turn and Jesus pointed to the fact that even though God is loving and caring yet man prefers darkness to light. “For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.”
On this fourth Sunday of lent otherwise called the “laetare”Sunday. It is called the Sunday of rejoicing to note that our salvation has been accomplished not so much by our efforts, not as we intended and not as man willed by as God designed it.
We are therefore called to rejoice in anticipation of this salvation that is given gratuitously by our loving God. The figure of this same gratuitous gift of salvation from God was equally granted of old to the people of Israel when they had lost everything because of their sins and stubbornness to the God their maker.
Our first reading from the book of Chronicles details the situation of the people of Israel when they were carried away, made slaves and their land devastated, their hopes and lives shattered and even their temple destroyed until the seventy years was over when God sent a pagan king in his loving kindness to redeem and save them.
King Cyrus whom God raised gave them their lives back, resettled them in their lands, rebuilt their temple and restored their sacred vessels and gave them back their hopes and their land without any effort of theirs.
Same gesture of saving his people is what is replicated in the the new dispensation in the life of Jesus. As the words of John the evangelist proclaims in the gospel of today that the Father loves us so much that he sent his son to redeem us, we see that Love was the driving force in the Father heart. It was this love that moved him to take the great stride in dying, suffering the agony of the cross and bringing salvation to humanity.
By his death therefore, all might be saved and gain salvation. The instrument of death, the cross now becomes the insignia of salvation, the symbol of victory, the sign of salvation and the power of God in our salvation. We contributed nothing to this gratuitous love of God. But We gained greatly from it. We are redeem by it and we must look up to it, develop faith in it, and meditate on it, for our salvation lies there.
The cross reveals the overwhelming love, mercy and compassion of God. For by it, God’s mercy and forgiveness is proclaimed. It shows the exceedingly great grace of God in our lives. It reminds us also of the victory which has been laid before us. And it urges us to go claim this graces, this salvation and this victory of Christ. This is what the second reading tells us today. In summary that grace comes from the victory of the cross and we are called to it without any effort on our part to embrace, accept and live in it.
Laetare Sunday therefore is a reminder to us and equally an anticipation of the joys of our redemption, how it was effected and why we must come to it and accept it this Lenten season. Do not allow it to pass you by. Live in it, accept it and embrace it.
God our Father, the cross is a symbol of our strength, victory and salvation. It reveals your love for humanity. Grant us the grace to look up to it, to embrace it, to glory in it and to walk the way of the cross. May we be granted this joy of salvation and inspired to lay down our lives totally for your glory through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
