4th Sunday of Lent (year B) Jn 3:16

Over the past several months, a certain recurring theme has been present in my thoughts, prayers and in my discussions with people.

It is this:  Jesus, the Son of God, was killed by humans, as we would say, through our sinfulness.  

The Father’s response to this murder, is the resurrection.

This is our salvation.

The Father’s faithfulness, the Father’s love, the Father’s mercy knows no limits:  the Father has no interest in punishing us.

That’s the theme.

How this has been made real in my life and in people that i know is wide and varied.

Jesus knew of this love, this faithfulness, this mercy.  The Son of God was sent by the Father so that we would know of this as well, not just with a head knowledge, but in very real and concrete ways.  

This famous Gospel passage is Jesus trying to get Nicodemus to understand.  

Nicodemus, a man of scripture, a religious leader; not a bad person, but he has limited himself.  He cannot open his mind and heart to what Jesus teaches.

The Father did not send the Son to condemn, but to SAVE.

Now what I find is that too many of us do one of two things when we make mistakes, when we fail, when we sin:  We either punish ourselves and beat ourselves up or we don’t even care and don’t give it a thought (nor the damage done).

Each does nothing but keep us in misery and cause more suffering.

I know people, like myself, who fall into that first category.  Man we just think of ourselves in bad terms because of mistakes, sins.   We try think we need to be treated badly, not worthy of forgiveness, not worthy of kindness, not worthy….

It creates a cycle of darkness in our lives.

And then we tend to spread that darkness to others.

I remember reading a spiritual book a number of years ago about this:  it shocked me into awareness...that for those who do this, and think this way, we deny and make useless all that Jesus did for us on the Cross.

It’s true.

Since God would not punish people for this great crime, why do we do it to ourselves (and to others).

It is not to say that there are not consequences to our mistakes...there are, but these are not punishments.  

If I lie to people, then their lack of trust is a consequence, and it must be rebuilt.

So God will forgive when we desire forgiveness, and that forgiveness frees us, so that we can grow from it, and change the direction of our lives.  

We need to know that God’s compassion has a purpose:  it is meant to change us.

God does not want us to repeat the mistakes, repeat our sins, but grow and move past them.

And this is where the other part comes in:  those who do not even feel any guilt, nor remorse, but continue as if nothing happens.

They cheapen God’s grace.  

They do not use God’s forgiveness to grow; they do not use God’s grace to increase in love of others, and so the cycle of sinfulness and the suffering continues.

They think God loves them no matter what, so that they can do, no matter what.

I see that too.  Way too often. I also witness the damage done to innocents.

The Father, Son and Holy Spirit desire better for us.

God desires us to have the fullness of life, which is about loving others and letting ourselves be loved.

It is about living for and with others.

We are reminded of this each and every Eucharist.

Jesus loved us, and gave his life for us, so that we would know of the Love

What will we do with this?