A Cycle – 4^th Sunday of Lent 26

1Jn. 9:5-412

If God does not judge by appearances, why do we spend so much time concerned with outward appearances.  It is amazing what we do to conform to unwritten norms of our faith.  Yet the desire to belong is a strong motivator which compels us to be like everyone else.  We inwardly judge others when they break those unwritten norms.  We know we cannot earn God’s favor, but we cannot stop practicing those inbred norms.  We are holding onto practices of faith while denying the power of it.  If you take the time to reflect on today’s readings, you should discover God’s desire if for us to let go of long held beliefs and give God what He desires and that is our hearts.

God is not interested in how we look, what we have accomplished or how well we adhere to the rules. What God desires is our total and complete trust in His promises. If you have not learned that lesson during the past three weeks of Lent, then perhaps you are spending too much time doing things rather than listening.  The scriptures should make us ask questions, think, and respond. For instance, have you ever wondered why the youngest son of Jesse was out of the house tending sheep?  Jesse had seven sons and yet it was the youngest who spent every hour away from the house guarding the sheep.  That is a homily for another day, but it does tell us something about his standing in the family.

 We do know there is always a critical lesson in the scriptures for us to apply to our lives. His being excluded from the sacrifice with the prophet Samuel did not change David’s relationship with God. David had a belief in God that allowed him to have total and complete trust in God’s provident care. 

How we view God, what we believe about God has a significant impact on our faith in God.  For instance, the belief that sin was the cause of a man’s blindness became an obstacle to the religious elders of Is reel. That belief should make us reflect on how we approach those life issues which cripple us.  Do we believe God is displeased with us as the Israelites believed his blindness was the result of sin.  Do we believe God cares what we are going through? Or have resigned to an unhealthy acceptance of our fate instead of standing firm in our belief in a benevolent loving God.

Today’s readings are challenging us to examine what we believe and how strongly we believe in the power of the cross and the sacrifice of Jesus. It is not what we do to please Gid that is important.  It is what God did!  It is how much we believe we have done nothing in the past or can do in the future to deserve what has offered us.  That is why Pauls’ epistle to the Ephesians should embolden us to trust in God.  He reminds us how “…we were once in darkness.”  The trouble is we do not believe we were once in darkness. Yet God reminds us, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  Like David, a man after God’s own heart fell short of what God desired.  His life like ours is filled with every kind of pain, sin, and at times filled with doubt.  Yet he trusted and remained steadfast in his belief in God. 

Paul also reminds us, we are “. delight in the Lord so we are to live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness, righteousness, and truth.” We should not be thinking about what we have done for Lent or what we have failed to do for Lent. What we should ask ourselves is “how much do we believe God is calling us to begin to walk in faith.”  Can we quit depending on ourselves and begin to rust God even when our lives are hard.  We are challenged to live our lives differently.  Boldly, proud of being a redeemed son and daughter of God. Willing to stand up in a hostile crowd and tell them they need to repent and follow the Lord.  Intent on living our faith not practicing our faith.  Boldly reading your bible in the doctors waiting room, the coffee shop and on the bus riding to school or to work.  Do we understand we need to be given a new spiritual sight and insights?   To be able to see and feel God in all circumstances during our daily lives.    Do we dare worship in spirit and in truth, offering God our hearts and expecting Hm to pour His love into it and embolden to do worship with an animation that expresses our love and joy because Christ is among us.