THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
Gen 15:5-12. Psalm 27. Phil 3:17-4:. Luke 9:28-36
JUST A DAY TOO LATE
One of the most frightening New Testament passages of Scripture comes in Luke's ninth chapter.
It's a salutary lesson for us if we are tempted to think that our religion is something we can get around to when we are ready for it.
Jesus talks with the crowd about two contemporary events which were making headlines at the time. Some Galileans had been massacred by Pilate, and 18 people had died when a tower collapsed on them in Siloam. Just like today: political violence and natural disasters.
But he goes on to say that they were ordinary people, no better or worse than you and me. Had they known that today was going to be their last day on earth they surely would have repented? He tells the crowd that they will also perish like these dead if they do not get around to repenting of their sins. Then he tells the story of the farmer giving just one last chance to the fig tree which bore no fruit.
It would be wrong to frighten Christians into practising their faith by scary stories, or by hinting that they too might soon die in a disaster or accident.
Yet Jesus' words do remain. God is infinitely merciful. He is kind and patient, and never forces anyone. But we do not have forever to get round to responding to God's appeal. We really cannot take it for granted that we will live to a ripe old age in which we can repent at leisure. Even if we are blessed with many years, the present quality of our lives would suffer if we were to put our conversion on hold.
God's offer of the Holy Spirit is for now. Today is the day of our salvation. There will never be a better moment than now, this Lent, to turn to God in those areas of our lives which we know are less than fruitful. The psalmist encourages us by letting us know that God is the one who forgives our guilt and heals our ills, who redeems our life from the grave and crowns us with love and compassion.
But God does not guarantee us a tomorrow.
