| Reading 1 | Response | Reading 2 | Gospel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jer 31:31-34 | Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 14-15 | Heb 5:7-9 | Jn 12:20-33 |
| RCL: Heb 5:5-10 |
| Lectionary note: Scrutinies |
|---|
| On the third, fourth, and fifth Sundays of Lent, the Lectionary offers two sets of readings. Masses that include catechumens celebrating the Scrutinies use Year A readings; all other masses use Year B readings. This reflection uses Year B readings. |
Lent: Jesus’ hour arrives
In the season of Lent, the believing community follows Jesus as he is tested, transfigured, cleanses the temple, explains how God loves, and announces his hour has come. This week’s readings ask us to think about the elements of Jesus’ covenant.
The first reading is from the prophet Jeremiah, a prophet in Judah after the northern kingdom had fallen and when the Babylonians were coming to power. In today’s pericope, Jeremiah describes a coming “new covenant” or “new testament” that God will make to replace the covenant that God’s people violated. Unlike the Mosaic covenant that God wrote on stone tablets, now God will “place the law within them;” the new covenant will be “written on their hearts.” Without being taught, everyone will intuitively see and know God (like the Greeks in today’s gospel). The Lectionary editors chose this reading because it describes God’s “new covenant;” in the gospel, Jesus explains this new covenant in his falling into the earth and his being lifted up (his transformational death and resurrection).
The second reading is from the letter to the Hebrews, written by an unknown author in the 80s AD. The author draws parallels between the Jewish Aaronic priesthood and Jesus’ “priestly” service, a priesthood that offers believers greater access to God. In today’s pericope, the author seems to refer to Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane (“with loud cries and tears”) and his final prayer on the cross (“to the one able to save him from death”). God heard Jesus’ prayer: God saved Jesus from death’s power by raising him from the dead. Jesus became “the source of eternal salvation for all” though his obedience to God’s saving plan. (In Gethsemane Jesus prays “not my will but yours be done” (Lk 22:42).) The Lectionary editors chose this reading because Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane (“your will be done”) connects with Jesus’ “hour” in the gospel.
John’s gospel marks the end of Jesus’ public ministry and the coming of Jesus’ “hour.” The Greeks’ arrival and request lead to Jesus’ last discourse.
- “The Greeks” arrive. Part of the crowd attending Passover are “the Greeks.” This is John’s term for gentiles who admire and live Judaism as best they can (“God fearers”) within Judaism’s cultural constraints. These Greeks approach Philip, a disciple with a Greek name, and ask to see Jesus. In John’s gospel, the Greek verb εἴδω/eídō indicates acceptance of Jesus. The gentile Greeks’ arrival signals that “the world is coming to Jesus” (Jn 12:19); Jesus recognizes that “the hour” has come.
- Falling and lifting up. Jesus describes his self-gift as his “lifting up.” In the grain of wheat parable, he expands his self-gift to include “falling into the earth” in order to bear much fruit. His self-gift includes both his lifting up and his falling. He teaches that disciples must be ready to follow Jesus’ example of self-sacrificing love and service (lifting up) to the point of death (falling).
- This world’s ruler is cast out. Jesus’ presence in the world brings judgement (the self-judgement of last week’s gospel). His lifting up will be Satan’s moment for judgement as this world’s ruler. Jesus’ presence forces a judgement on this world’s rulers who govern, judge, divide, and enslave people by ethnicity, culture, history, and religion. Those who rule by this world’s principles are found wanting by Jesus’ glorification: they cannot permit the true freedom that comes from accepting God’s revelation in and through Jesus. This world’s ruler and his followers are cast out; Jesus’ lifting up now draws everything and everyone to him, regardless of their ethnicity, culture, history, or religion.
Lent’s readings call us to walk with Jesus as he prepares for his transformative death. Today’s readings ask us to think about Jesus’ new covenant. Jeremiah announces a new saving covenant God writes on the peoples’ hearts. The Hebrews author recalls how God heard and answered Jesus’ prayer of trust in God’s saving plan. Jesus explains again that his covenant is about self-sacrificing love and service to everyone. What does Jesus’ new covenant mean to us? Are we able to listen with our hearts to what God teaches? Are we able to see the new covenant as the source of salvation for all, not only ourselves? As disciples do we let ourselves fall into the earth and lift up others in service to all?
—Terence Sherlock
The Lectionary In Context 