First Sunday of Lent
To the modern mind, stories like the story of Noah raise many questions as it answers them. How could destroy all of creation? Is not a compassionate God? As we ask these questions, we must remember the book of Genesis was not written as an eye-witness account. Noah’s story is being narrated for a far bigger purpose. Whereas the story is a lesson on the destructive power of sin, it is even more importantly the story of God’s first covenant with humanity. God makes a promise with all of humanity that not destruction but rather salvation that will be the final word.
I would like to draw three connections that help us see the meaning of the story of Noah and the great flood.
1) The connection between Noah, Jesus & Us
From the perspective of biblical history, thousands of years separate Noah and us. Yet, there is an integral connection between Noah and us. The connection is found in the term, ‘covenant.’ The most predominant theme of the Old Testament is the word covenant. In fact, the word testament means covenant. Every covenant God makes after this first covenant is a step closer to the totality of the salvation of the world. The covenant with Moses brought us the Ten Commandments and the wisdom of God. The covenant with David promised us the Messiah. When push came to shove, a rainbow would not do and neither would mere commandments. Eventually, the covenant took shape of a person. Jesus is the eternal covenant God made with us. This is the Jesus, who, in today’s gospel reading remained for forty days in the desert. He came not to destroy the world with a flood but to save us by his blood. It was the first covenant that God made with Noah that eventually leads us to Jesus, the Savior of the World. Just as God made a covenant with Noah, God has personally made a covenant with us through Jesus. On this the first Sunday of Lent, the practical implication of today’s scripture is that we personalize what God has done for us from Noah and all the way up to this mass.
2) Baptism: The connection to the flood, Jesus & Us.
Noah’s story has another theme that is relevant for us. In today’s second reading, Paul says, “… God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water. This prefigured baptism, which saves you now. It is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear conscience.” In other words, our baptism is the connection between Noah, Jesus, and us. When Jesus was baptized the waters of baptism were made holy. Once, water destroyed the earth. Now water saves the earth. As we begin the first week in Lent, one of the best things we can do spiritually is to reflect on our own baptism. Just as the waters of the flood during Noah’s time cleansed the world of evil, our baptism has cleansed us of our sins. Now what? Now, we are being invited to live out our baptism in the choices we make. Like Noah and his family let us keep our lives holy. Let us live out our baptismal promises eagerly. May our Lenten penances help us to cleanse our life of those things that take us away from holiness and keep us committed to our baptismal life.
3) From the Water to the Desert
In the gospel of Mark, Jesus was baptized just prior to the passage we have for today’s gospel. Mark tells us “On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.” This is followed by today’s gospel where Mark says, “And the Spirit drove him into the desert.” How interesting that within two verses we move from the water into the desert. What does this means for us? This means that our baptism has implications. Our baptism is only the beginning of our Christian life. Until we reach eternity, our life is a desert. The desert requires that we stay focused; that we encounter the challenges in the desert with God’s word like Jesus did; that we strive to triumph over evil and depend totally on God. These forty days of lent are very special days. Let us spend them like Jesus did in the desert. May our Lenten observances be more than about giving up coffee, chocolates and beer. Rather, may our Lent be a walk with Jesus. May Imageit be a time to evaluate our lives, and to make deep rooted changes. After all, that is what God wanted after the flood – to renew the face of the earth.
The water and the desert lead us to the Eucharistic table. The water cleanses us, the desert prepares us, and the table feeds us.
Fr. Satish Joseph