Mar 10, 2024: 4th Sunday of Lent (B)

1st Reading – 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23

In those days, all the princes of Judah, the priests, and the people
added infidelity to infidelity,
practicing all the abominations of the nations
and polluting the LORD’s temple
which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.Early and often did the LORD, the God of their fathers,
send his messengers to them,
for he had compassion on his people and his dwelling place.
But they mocked the messengers of God,
despised his warnings, and scoffed at his prophets,
until the anger of the LORD against his people was so inflamed
that there was no remedy.
Their enemies burnt the house of God,
tore down the walls of Jerusalem,
set all its palaces afire,
and destroyed all its precious objects.
Those who escaped the sword were carried captive to Babylon,
where they became servants of the king of the Chaldeans and his sons
until the kingdom of the Persians came to power.
All this was to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah:
“Until the land has retrieved its lost sabbaths,
during all the time it lies waste it shall have rest
while seventy years are fulfilled.”

In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia,
in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah,
the LORD inspired King Cyrus of Persia
to issue this proclamation throughout his kingdom,
both by word of mouth and in writing:
“Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia:
All the kingdoms of the earth
the LORD, the God of heaven, has given to me,
and he has also charged me to build him a house
in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
Whoever, therefore, among you belongs to any part of his people,
let him go up, and may his God be with him!”

The books of 1 and 2 Chronicles provide a retrospective look at Israel’s history from the reign of Saul to the return from the Exile. This is the same period written about in the books of Samuel and Kings, but with a specific theological perspective. It places a particular emphasis on proper worship and adherence to God’s instructions regarding the Temple rituals.

It’s important to note that ancient biblical history, with rare exceptions, prioritized the interpretation of events over precise factual reporting. Its purpose was to disclose the action of the living God in the affairs of humanity. For this reason, we speak of it as “sacred history.”

Today’s first reading can be divided into three parts: a brief summary of the sinfulness of the nation, their corresponding punishment in the form of the Babylonian exile, and the decree directing them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.

In those days, all the princes of Judah, the priests, and the people added infidelity to infidelity, practicing all the abominations of the nations and polluting the LORD’S temple which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

The passage opens by describing the spiritual deterioration of the people.

“All the abominations of the nations” could refer to a wide range of behaviors, including idolatry, pagan rituals, moral impurity, or sorcery. Defiling the temple was certainly a grave offense against God and his covenant.

The fact that the text identifies three distinct groups of people is significant. First, it demonstrates that the religious well-being of the people was a shared responsibility of the monarchy and the priesthood. It also makes it clear that the people themselves were also guilty, showing that the corruption of Israel was pervasive and not limited to just the leadership.

Early and often did the LORD, the God of their fathers, send his messengers to them, for he had compassion on his people and his dwelling place.

Even in the face of Israel’s sinfulness, God remains merciful. He repeatedly sends reforming prophets (messengers) to correct them.

It is God’s will to save us, not punish us.

But they mocked the messengers of God, despised his warnings, and scoffed at his prophets, until the anger of the LORD against his people was so inflamed that there was no remedy.

The people respond to God’s compassion with mockery and derision. Their callous rejection of God’s prophets provokes divine anger.

Their enemies burnt the house of God, tore down the walls of Jerusalem, set all its palaces afire, and destroyed all its precious objects. Those who escaped the sword he carried captive to Babylon, where they became his and his sons’ servants 

The consequences of the people’s sin were devastating. What had been desecrated through their wickedness was now purified by God’s wrath.

Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Chaldeans (the country of which Babylon was the capital), invaded Judah in 605 BC and exiled many of the craftsmen to Babylon. In 597 BC he conquered Jerusalem, exiling the aristocracy to Babylon. He destroyed the temple when he quelled the revolt of Zedekiah in 586 BC and exiled even more Jews.

In summary, there was a general slaughter, the temple was destroyed, Jerusalem was laid waste, and the survivors were deported.

until the kingdom of the Persians came to power.

In 539 BC, the Babylonians were conquered by the Persians.

All this was to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah: “Until the land has retrieved its lost sabbaths, during all the time it lies waste it shall have rest while seventy years are fulfilled.”

The prophet Jeremiah foretold this demise of Judah in Jeremiah 25:1-11.

Because of the irreligious conduct of the king, the priests, and the people (the “the lost sabbaths”), the entire land would be held in Sabbath rest for seventy years. 

In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, 

All is not lost. In addition to warning the Israelites about their demise, Jeremiah also foretold the collapse of their Babylonian conquerors (Jeremiah 25:12) and conveyed God’s promise for restoration and hope:

“This is what the Lord says: ‘When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile’” (Jeremiah 29:10-14).

the LORD inspired King Cyrus of Persia to issue this proclamation throughout his kingdom, both by word of mouth and in writing: “Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: ‘All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD, the God of heaven, has given to me, and he has also charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

In 538 BC, King Cyrus permitted the Jews residing in Babylon to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city and its temple. The text of Cyrus’s decree is quoted in Ezra 1:1-4.

The fact that a foreign king was inspired by the God of Israel shows that God’s jurisdiction is universal, not limited to the confines of Israel. Perhaps even more staggering is how this powerful pagan king credited the God of Israel as the source of his vast power.

Whoever, therefore, among you belongs to any part of his people, let him go up, and may his God be with him!’”

While the reasons for the destruction of the temple and the deportation of the people were outlined in great detail, no reasons are given for the miraculous restoration of Israel. It is solely the graciousness of God.

This closing verse ends the book of 2 Chronicles, the last book of the Jewish canon. That is, all of Jewish scripture ends with an exhortation to the people to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.

The political implications of this directive continue to be profound.

2nd Reading – Ephesians 2:4-10

Brothers and sisters:
God, who is rich in mercy,
because of the great love he had for us,
even when we were dead in our transgressions,
brought us to life with Christ — by grace you have been saved —,
raised us up with him,
and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,
that in the ages to come
He might show the immeasurable riches of his grace
in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and this is not from you; it is the gift of God;
it is not from works, so no one may boast.
For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works
that God has prepared in advance,
that we should live in them.

Ephesians is the great Pauline letter about the worldwide Church. The letter outlines that the purpose of the Church is to be the instrument for making God’s plan of salvation known throughout the universe (3:9-10), and the head of this Church is Christ (4:15).

Brothers and sisters: God, who is rich in mercy, 

The Greek term éleos, translated as “mercy” in English, has theological implications when considered in the context of the covenant between God and humanity. Within the framework of the Old Testament covenant, the concept of mercy is intricately tied to God’s faithfulness, compassion, and willingness to forgive.

The covenant established by God with various figures in the Old Testament, such as Abraham and later with the people of Israel through Moses, emphasized the gracious nature of God’s commitment. The covenant was not based solely on human merit but also on God’s mercy and steadfast love. When the people of Israel fell short of the covenant obligations, God’s mercy became a crucial aspect of the relationship.

In the New Testament, the concept of mercy takes on even greater significance with the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The covenant is fulfilled in Christ, and through his sacrifice, God’s mercy is extended to all who believe in him.

because of the great love he had for us, 

The driving force of this mercy is agápē, the divine sacrificial love that redeems and transforms.

even when we were dead in our transgressions,

Without God’s grace, humanity is spiritually dead. Sin separates us from God, creating a profound alienation from the source of life.

brought us to life with Christ

In Greek, verses 1 through 7 comprise one long sentence with the main verb occurring here. That verb is sunzōopoieō (“brought us to life”), which indicates a shared life or resurrection.

Note the stark contrast between God’s graciousness and our human inadequacy. When we were dead in our transgressions, God brought us to life with Christ. Why? Not because we deserve it, but because God is compassionate and merciful — because he loves us.

“These are the true riches of God’s mercy, that even when we did not seek it mercy was made known through His own initiative. … This is God’s love to us, that having made us He did not want us to perish. His reason for making us was that He might love what He had made, seeing that no one hates his own workmanship.” [The Ambrosiaster (between 366-384 AD), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles]

— by grace you have been saved—,

Just as a person who is physically dead cannot bring themselves back to life, those who are spiritually dead in sin cannot obtain supernatural life (i.e. grace), through their own efforts.

Unable to save ourselves, we receive salvation as a pure gift of grace. Although all receive this gift, each one of us must accept that gift by responding in faith.

raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,

Paul’s choice of verbs (“brought to life,” “raised us up,” and “seated us”) in this passage are significant. With all of them, he uses the Greek preposition sýn, which is often translated as “with” in English, but it conveys a more intimate and interactive connection than a mere association. It indicates shared participation, a common destiny.

The faithful share in Christ’s resurrection and exaltation in a very intimate way.

Also important is that the verb tense indicates that this has already happened; it is not some promised future that will come at the end of time. From the moment of our incorporation into the body of Christ by baptism, his resurrection and exaltation is something already present in us — albeit in an incomplete way.

that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

God’s generosity and kindness is not just adequate, it is lavish.

God’s love is beyond our comprehension.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God;

Our salvation is accomplished by God. Even the faith required to accept this gift of salvation is a grace from God.

Pelagianism (the idea that we can earn our own salvation) was denounced as a heresy by the Church in the 5th century.

“Paul says this in case the secret thought should steal upon us that ‘if we are not saved by our own works, at least we are saved by our own faith, and so in another way our salvation is of ourselves.’ Thus he added that statement that faith too is not in our own will but in God’s gift. Not that He means to take away free choice from humanity … but that even this very freedom of choice has God as its author, and all things are to be referred to His generosity, in that He has even allowed us to will the good.” [Saint Jerome (between 386-387 AD), Commentaries on the Epistle to the Ephesians 1,2,8-9]

it is not from works, so no one may boast.

Good works are important, but only as a result of having been saved, not as a condition for it. Realizing that we have not earned our salvation — and that we don’t really deserve it — prevents us from boasting of our accomplishments.

For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.

All these marvels are accomplished in Christ — a theme that is really the heart of Paul’s entire theology. We are God’s handiwork, both created and redeemed by the grace of God.

“By faith man freely commits his entire self to God…; before this faith can be exercised, man must have the grace of God to move and assist Him; he must have the interior help of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and converts it to God, who opens the eyes of the mind and makes it easy for all to accept and believe the truth.’” (Vatican II, Dei Verbum, 5).

Gospel – John 3:14-21

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

Today’s gospel reading is part of a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council known as the Sanhedrin. Nicodemus approached Jesus at night and expressed his recognition of Jesus as a teacher who had come from God. The circumstances suggest that Nicodemus wanted to keep his interaction with Jesus a secret.

Jesus said to Nicodemus: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,

A reference to Numbers 21:8-9, when Moses made a bronze snake and lifted it up on a pole to provide healing to the Israelites who had been bitten by poisonous snakes.

so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 

Jesus is foreshadowing his own crucifixion and resurrection. The Greek verb used for “lifted up” (hypsoó) means “to be raised in exaltation.”

The title “Son of Man” is derived from the Old Testament, particularly the Book of Daniel (Daniel 7:13-14). In that passage, divine figure who receives authority and a universal kingdom from the Ancient of Days (i.e., God). This figure became associated with the Jewish people’s expectations for what would happen at the end of time.

so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

The Israelites who looked with faith upon the bronze serpent lifted up on a pole were healed and given new physical life.

Those who believe in the Son of Man, lifted up on the cross, will be healed and given not only new spiritual life, but eternal life.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.

The famous verse, John 3:16, encapsulates a central theme of Christianity: the scope of divine love.

God spares nothing for the salvation of the world, not even his only Son: such is the depth and generosity of his sacrificial love. The word here for “gave” is dídōmi, a verb associated specifically with the giving of a gift. This underscores the intentional and generous nature of God’s gift, highlighting the grace and love inherent in the giving.

The structure of this passage suggests that the Son of Man mentioned previously is also the Son of God. The idea that one person would occupy both titles was a profound revelation.

In Judaism, these titles were often seen as distinct and sometimes even contrasting. “Son of Man” was associated with humanity, while “Son of God” was linked to divinity, and many Jews at the time would have understood them as separate categories.

For Jesus to claim both titles and to suggest their unity in his person would have been a huge challenge for his audience. This revelation contributed to the growing understanding of Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God, and it played a crucial role in shaping early Christian Christology.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

The universalism expressed in this teaching would have also been a challenge for Jesus’ audience. The Israelites continually marveled at the love God had for his chosen people; however, this passage is remarkable in its explicit declaration of God’s love for the entire world.

Jesus’ sole purpose in embracing the cross was to fulfill the will of his Father and to offer eternal life not to a chosen few, but to all.

Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, 

Although it is God’s will that everyone be saved, not everyone is willing to accept the gift of salvation.

because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Recall the sanctity of names in Jewish thought: a person’s name represents their full identity, their full being. If you believe in the name of a person, you believe in all they represent.

And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world,

Christ’s incarnation is characterized as light coming into the world.

but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed.

Light illuminates righteousness and exposes wickedness, forcing individuals to make a moral choice in response to the revealed truth.

But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

Those who choose Christ live in the divine light of truth. Those who do not believe in Christ are in darkness.

Connections and Themes

The primary theme of today’s readings is the mercy of God, which can be considered from three aspects:

God is rich in mercy.  Our first reading and the responsorial psalm portray a people longing for redemption from the consequences of their own transgressions. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians describes how God, in his profound mercy, grants salvation as an unmerited gift through faith. In the gospel reading, John presents Jesus as the embodiment of God’s mercy and love, destined to be lifted up for the salvation of humanity. God’s mercy is not only boundless, it is the transformative force that lifts us from spiritual exile to the embrace of his redemptive love.

God’s mercy lifts us up. “Mercy” means setting aside strict justice in favor of compassion: exiles are raised out of defeat and given another chance, sinners are raised out of despair and offered a reprieve, the entire world is raised out of darkness when God sends his Son not as judge, but as savior. The light of Christ raises us out of darkness and sin, out of our hopelessness, so that we might enjoy the blessings of life.

Witnesses to God’s mercy.  God raised the eyes of the Israelites for healing, raised the exiled nation to restoration, and raised Jesus from the dead to save all of humanity. In the same way, we too have been raised up: freed from the restraints of the past and joined with Christ. We are called to live in truth and become a visible sign of God’s mercy in the world, shining forth as witnesses to the mercy of God.