Third Sunday in Lent (C)

But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!

Lk 13:1-9

Some people who were present there told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingles with the blood of their sacrifices.

Is Pilate capable of killing people? Josephus, a Jewish historian, wrote in his book “Antiquities” two incidents of mass murder. He killed the Samaritans who were at Mt. Gerizim for a religious gathering. On another occasion he killed those Jews who objected to his using Temple money to build an aqueduct in Jerusalem.

Lessons

1. Not all tragedies and misfortunes are punishment due to sin. In fact, bad things can happen to good people.

• A long time ago a student asked me this question: We are involved in our Parish. My father is a lay minister. My mother is a Mother Butler. Why did God allow our house to be broken into?
Why can bad things happen to good people?

• Job suffered one misfortune after another. He lost his property and became poor. He lost his children. He suffered boils all over his body. His friends who came to condole said that he was probably being punished for his sins. But Job said that it was not so. He tried to be faithful to God. So why was he being punished? The answer of the book to the question: “Why do bad things happen to good people.“ was “We don’t know. We just have to keep trusting in God.” And in fact, because of his trust God restored to him his health and his wealth. His wife gave birth to other children.

2. Hell

• Is there hell? Yes. But it is not a place. Heaven is not also a place. Souls are spirits and spirits do not occupy space. Instead it is state of being (katayuan).

• Is there fire in hell? Probably not. The gospel speaks of the fire of hell because among the Jews used Gehenna to describe hell. Gehenna is the place outside the walls of Jerusalem where the garbage of the city was dumped. There garbage was burning day and night.

• Is hell a torture chamber? Bad people are being tortured by the devils. Certainly not. That is the product of the imagination of some people. But hell is really punishment. But what kind of punishment? We do not know.

• Does God sent people to hell? Some theologians say that it is actually people who send themselves to hell. Hell is being separated from God. It is not God who separates himself from us. It is we who separate ourselves from God.

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.

Jesus has been preaching repentance and inviting his countrymen to enter the Kingdom of God. But the majority have not accepted his preaching. Yet God remains patient. When Jesus was not accepted by a Samaritan village, James and John asked Jesus whether they can call fire from heaven to destroy that village. Jesus scolded them.

Lessons

1. Why is God patient with us? Because God doesn’t want anyone of us to go to hell. He wants all of us to be with him in heaven. God loves us so much. Would any parent want anything bad to happen to his/her children? Of course not. Why? Because you love your children.

There is a painting that to me illustrates best God’s patience with us. It is called Light of the World. Jesus is holding a lantern. He is outside the door. The door has no knob. It can only be opened from the inside. He is knocking. He will not leave. He keeps on knocking. He will wait even forever for us to open the door of our heart to him. For the door is the symbol of our heart. This Lenten season is not just about going to confession and being converted. It is about welcoming God into our hearts.

2. If we are to become patient, we must know how to wait. We must know how to hope. To hope means not to give up.

Francis Kong told us that he was a top-notch student in college. But you wouldn’t believe that if you knew him in high school. Because he was irresponsible in high school, he took him 6 years to finally graduate. His parents did not give up on him. His conversion came when one day he finally came to his senses. He realized he was the eldest. His parents were depending on him. His siblings were looking up to him. His parents were working to send him to school. And all he did was to enjoy himself and give them suffering. His parents did not give up on him. Their patience paid off.

3. If we are being asked to be patient with others we have to be patient with our-selves. If God is patient with us, we don’t have the right to give up on ourselves.

Who invented the light bulb? Thomas Alba Edison. He is also the founder of GE, General Electric. How many times did he fail before finally got it right? 12,000! He could have said: “It’s no use.” He could have said: “I’m no good.” He never gave up on himself. He never gave up on the project. And because of that we have the light bulb.

Conclusion

1. When bad things happen to you, hold on. Keep trusting in God.
2. There is hell. But God doesn’t want us to end up there.
3. God keeps knocking at the door of our hearts. Maybe it’s now time to open up.
4. God is patient with us. Let us learn to be patient, not only with others but also with ourselves.