The Lord is Kind and Merciful to Those Who Repent: Reflections on the Readings for the Third Sunday of Lent, Cycle C

Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15
Psalm 103
1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12
Luke 13:1-9

Most of the readings today are cautionary, full of warnings. And they include the admonition to repent. They begin, however, with God sending Moses on a mission and revealing to him the Holy Name of the Lord.

The first reading tells us that Moses is in Midian, tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro. To put it in context, Moses escaped from Egypt having been brought up in Pharaoh’s house but, seeing the plight of his kinsmen, Moses struck an Egyptian and killed him. Pharaoh sought to kill him, but Moses escaped. At the time of this passage, that king had died and God, having heard the cries of His people in their distress, was ready to act.

Getting Moses’ attention via the burning bush, God speaks to Moses, telling him that He intends, through Moses, to bring the Israelites, His people, out of Egypt. We learn of the plan to not merely “rescue them from the power of the Egyptians,” but also to lead them “into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Moses, somewhat disconcerted and unsure that the people would follow him on his word alone asks what he should say; how can he identify the God of their fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). God reveals Himself as Being (Existence) itself: “I am who am.”
Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent me to you.”

Following this God notes, “This is my name forever; thus am I to be remembered through all generations.” And thus we should remember as we will hear Jesus use these words to identify Himself in the gospels and we see the reactions of the Jews who understand exactly what He meant (e.g., John 18:5-6).

The action of God to rescue His people is kindness and mercy and the responsorial picks up on this theme. In particular it notes that God made His ways known to Moses, as we would learn in the rest of the Book of Exodus. This also implies the necessity to follow the ways of the Lord and to fear Him (reverential fear).

The psalmist notes that the Lord is “slow to anger and abounding in kindness.” A later verse of this psalm (not read today) explains, “His salvation is for the children’s children of those who keep his covenant, and remember to carry out his precepts.” Saint Peter also addressed God’s “slowness.” “The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) As the next readings assert, repentance is key.

Saint Paul reminds us of some of the lessons of the Exodus and how, while wandering for forty years, many of the Israelites displeased the Lord and were struck down. He reminds us that, similar to his analogy of the one body (Romans 12), the Israelites had all experienced the same blessings, including the baptism of the Red Sea, and the spiritual food that God had provided. Their grumbling and turning to idolatry provoked the Lord such that, at one time, twenty-three thousand were struck down.

Paul explains, “These things happened as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil things, as they did, ... and they have been written down as a warning to us.” In the verse immediately following this selected reading, Paul notes that there is hope: “No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.” As Paul says elsewhere, stand firm in the Lord and He will support you.

 Jesus also speaks bluntly about the need for repentance. But then, repentance was a principal theme of His ministry. Bishop Sheen, in his book, Life of Christ, notes: “The first sermon that Christ preached was on the subject of repentance, ... ‘Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand’ (Matthew 4:17) [also the verse before the gospel today]. The first sermon of Peter was on repentance, the first sermon of Paul was on repentance; now the last sermon Christ preached before ascending into heaven was the theme of His first. (Luke 24:47) Repentance was to be the burden of the New Testament teaching.”

Jesus rebukes His listeners against thinking that they are better than other sinners who were killed either by Pilate or in the fall of the tower at Siloam. Basically He is telling them that all are in need of repentance. But, like St. Paul, He gives them some hope by telling the parable of the fig tree. In that parable, the owner looked for fruit from the tree but, after three years, found none and ordered it cut down. The gardener, however, offered to tend the tree and wait another year after which time if it still did not bear fruit, he would cut it down. The owner is the Father and Jesus is the gardener. In this way Jesus is telling the crowd (and us) that, while the Father is patient, there is a limit. Similarly, Jesus asks the Father to forgive His persecutors during the Crucifixion. While not doctrine, I personally believe that having watered the world with His precious blood, this was to give them and us time to repent and so avoid being cut down. And, as this is Lent, it is a good time to tend to our own fig trees and make the corrections needed to bear the fruit that God is looking for.

“The Lord is kind and merciful,” but mercy comes after repentance.

“Rebuke causes useful pain such that you may seek the Physician [God]; for it is not profit unless it makes a man repent of his sin.” (St. Augustine, On Rebuke and Grace)