"I have come down to rescue them . . . "
Luke 13: 1 - 9
The Word: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032022-YearC.cfm
In the midst of our journey through Lent,
this Sunday we are confronted with an age-old question about the nature of God
and the seeming random events of life; mostly the bad stuff that seems to
happen. You may be familiar with the
statement: “Nothing happens by chance.”
Frankly, I often wonder is it purposeful or is it random? Does God permit rather than cause? And if so, why?
That statement implies that God is the cause
of everything that happens both good and bad.
That behind what may seem merely random, without any purpose, is in fact
purposeful. It may be a bit of a stretch to take that too literally,
however. On the one hand, it is true
that God is in control of things. His wisdom is beyond our own and he remains
forever the kind of burning bush experience we hear of in our first reading
today. God speaks to Moses from a bush
that burns with fire but is not consumed: “I am who am” or short form: “I AM” is
the name God gives to Moses. Such a name is not really a name as such but
rather a statement of God’s existence.
God cannot be contained or identified by an individual name as the pagan
gods. He is rather, as St. Thomas
Aquinas states, totally Other. God cannot be
limited or contained nor can we comprehend his fullness and ultimate purpose.
Yet he communicates in a personal way to his creation and to humankind in
particular as we see in Abraham, Moses, Jesus and in our times of prayer.
Was God the cause of the suffering of the
Hebrew slaves and now, through Moses, their liberator? To assume that God’s
purposeful hand is the cause of all that happens is to assume that God is both
the determined cause of tragedy and blessings.
If that is true, then God appears to be both a sadistic dictator and a
compassionate healer at the same time. He takes some sort of perverted pleasure
in the suffering of the guilty and allows the righteous to enjoy blessings. Our
Gospel from Luke this Sunday is a classic example of this viewpoint.
Here, it might seem unusual that such a
question was brought to Jesus by a crowd: “Some people told Jesus about the
Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
Jesus said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans
suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?” (Lk
13: 1-2).
In other words, the crowds revealed a general
understanding of that time: sinners were punished by God and the innocent were
blessed. So, in this example, what
seemed a great abomination by Pontius Pilate was really God using him to punish
these Galileans who were notorious sinners.
In answer to their inquiry, Jesus does a very
Jewish thing – he answers a question with another question and uses the example
of a tower in Siloam which fell upon and killed eighteen people: “Do you think
they were guiltier than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means!” (Lk
13: 3-4).
Jesus statement: “By no means” is
telling. So does our God go around
causing tragedy and suffering as retribution upon the guilty? I think not.
Yet, it’s clear he permits it and the death on the cross of the most
innocent human being ever who walked this earth is the model for that mystery.
God’s purposeful will is beyond us yet up
close. Before him we stand as Moses did
before the theophany of God: “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place
where you stand is holy ground . . . Moses hid his face for he was afraid to
look at God.”
Yet, this God beyond us, reveals his
compassionate care, his desire to save and set free, his promise to take action
on behalf of the suffering. “I have witnessed the affliction of my people in
Egypt and I have heard their cry of complaint . . . I know well what they are
suffering.” (Ex 3). Does that sound like
a God who deliberately inflicts misery, even on the guilty?
If we put it all together, we find a God of
mercy who walks with us in our sadness and our joy. Is there randomness to life uncaused directly
by God but permitted by him? Doe he
cause it or allow it? It seems most
unlikely that the God who Jesus presented to humanity would buy in to the
misunderstanding about suffering as divine retribution.
In support of this, Jesus uses the image of
barren fig tree as a symbol of the ancient chosen people. The planter of the tree recognizes that the
tree is unproductive, lifeless, and just stealing much needed nutrients from
the soil that could be used by other more lively plants. The gardener (God) recommends, however, “Sir,
leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and
fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future.” (Lk 13: 8-9).
One more chance, one more opportunity. For this merciful God in Christ Jesus, has
come to walk among us and show us the way to life. No retribution or vengeance
but an invitation to conversion and a new way of life based in mercy and love.
This Lent is the time to wake up and embrace this great truth. Don’t let the towers of our pride and selfish
choices be the cause of our misfortune.
In the end, hard times and sadness produce
life: the call to compassion, to deeper faith and trust, to mercy for others,
to generosity towards the suffering and unfortunate, a call to leave our
personal comfort zones and reach out in selfless love. Such “fruit” may well be why God permits
suffering. In the face of great
suffering and tragedy, however, we are certainly challenged of our perception
of God as one of love: “Why?” we may indeed ask.
Our best answer may not be to challenge God
but to worship and obedience, to compassion and humility, to an imitation of
his mercy towards the suffering. “I AM
who I AM.” In the presence of mystery we are called to be more a Moses than a
scientist who does all he/she can to find a verifiable solution to a problem.
God is beyond us and will forever be mystery this side of eternity. As terrible
and horrifying as we see the atrocities being inflicted on the innocent in war
time and today in particular in Ukraine our hearts are aching for reasonable
answers: Why? What can I do? Who should
be punished?
However, the compassion, generosity, love,
and unity this war has brought about in a world mostly united is
inspiring. The amount of financial
donations and the open welcome of those fleeing their homeland for safety is
heartwarming. Out of great darkness
there is the light of the Gospel. Will
it stop the war or ease the suffering? We must pray, storm heaven, and do all
we can. Did God cause this suffering
purposely? Not the God which Jesus
taught; not even remotely. We must be more like him in the midst of
darkness.
Our Eucharistic gathering is a moment of
connection with both joy and sadness in everyone’s life. We are not there alone for Christianity and
Catholicism in particular is not a private devotion. It is a call to imitate the God who comes
into our lives as a living word and a real presence. This is the God who loves, forgives, and who
offered his life in suffering for our salvation. We stand before both mystery and mercy.
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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.
(Opening prayer of Mass)
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