Monday of the Second Week in Lent
Scripture Readings
In these last days of winter it is so difficult not to feel ‘weather worn’ from so many months of harsh weather. Most of us are ready for spring; we may even find ourselves looking outside for a tiny hint of green emerging from the soil. As rational human beings, we really like seeing the hard evidence. Today’s readings remind how Spring carries with it promises of abundance much like the Word of God carries the promise of great abundance. But, unlike the Spring season which we cannot will to appear, God’s promises of great abundance are offered to us at every moment.
Today’s Gospel is an excerpt from St. Luke’s Sermon on the Plain. In this brief passage, Jesus is very direct: stop judging and condemning, be merciful and forgive. Jesus says we will be treated just as we treat others. Jesus does not want our primary motivation to be fear of how we will be treated, rather, he is giving us a glimpse of how the Kingdom of God works and what being part of the Kingdom entails. In this context, Jesus is talking primarily about a change from the inside out—from the heart; he wants us to be motivated by love. One beautiful aspect of God’s Kingdom is described in the passage as well: “Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap.” (Lk 6:38) The vision of the Kingdom is one of abundance, of unity and loving reciprocity. When we judge or condemn someone or withhold mercy and forgiveness we are not living out the vision of God’s Kingdom. Each one of these things—judging, condemning, and unforgiveness—cause separation and division, not only between us and other people, but between God and ourselves as well. Quite frankly, it is rebellion against God and his Kingdom. Rebellion sounds like such a strong term, but it is rebellion all the same. The abundance that God intends for his people cannot flourish in the presence of such rebellion. A look at today’s first reading from Daniel reveals how rebellion cuts off the abundance of God; the people are scattered, they behave in evil and wicked ways, and they disdain the prophets sent to them by God. The behavior Jesus denounces is just as much an obstacle to God’s amazing abundance.
Despite all the turning away that we do, God keeps his covenant—just as he always did with the Israelites—and God eagerly waits to shower God's mercy and forgiveness abundantly upon us. A major turning point is when we realize the unfathomable mercy God has shown to us. At that point, showing mercy to others can become a natural response. When we become aware of how many times we have been forgiven, it becomes harder and harder to judge or condemn another. And when we truly realize how we have been granted such unfathomable abundance by God it does nothing less than break our hearts wide open—it allows us to love!
Living in the abundance of God’s love eliminates the need or tendency to judge or condemn another in their weakness or withhold mercy or forgiveness from our brothers and sisters. Each day we are given another chance to begin again and each day we can make a choice for abundance or for rebellion. Each day we can choose God or choose something else. If we believe in God and have faith in what God says to us, we will choose God and we will choose God’s abundance. What will our choice be this day?
--Gail Lyman