March 3: Third Sunday of Lent

Third Sunday of Lent

As we are now well into Lent, we can take a look at what it means to turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel. A good place to start would be the Ten Commandments. The reading from Exodus presents us with one of the first listings of the Commandments. In this passage, God explains some of the laws to show how serious they are. For the first one, God includes making images to be used for worship. Now you might jump to the conclusion that all the statues and crucifixes in our churches must be destroyed. Not so.

In the days of Moses, people of other cultures made images of their gods and declared that the image was the god, and so should be worshipped. The Lord wanted his people to remember that God cannot be limited to an image or idea. That is still true today. Our images and statues are meant to help us pray to God, not to that work of art. In that sense, they are no worse than using a beautiful sunset or mountain scene to help you pray.

On the other hand, some people give a superstitious meaning to religious articles. Burying a statue to help sell your house could be one example. If you want to ask for a favor from God, just ask Him. God is much more likely to listen to a sincere prayer than a superstitious action.

The reason God gives for the first commandment is that he is a passionate God, who has chosen the Israelites to be his people. When he punishes sin, he allows the effect of our bad choices to hurt us and those around us. But when we repent and change our ways, his love is everlasting.

God also emphasizes some commands by duplicating them. He tells us not to steal from others, and also not to plan to steal from our neighbor. The same with adultery: Planning it is just as bad as doing it. Taking his name in vain originally meant perjuring yourself after taking an oath to tell the truth. That is similar to the eighth commandment about false witness.

Jesus simplified all these commands when he reminds us to love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. Let’s remember that as we turn away from sin to serving God better during Lent.

Tom Schmidt