17 March 2024: Fifth Sunday of Lent B

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

Lent: turning to the new, facing the hour

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 focus on change, the new, and finding true life.

First reading (Jer 31:31-34)

The first reading is from the prophet Jeremiah, whom God called in 626 BC as the Babylonians came to power. The book’s first part (chapters 1 to 25), Jeremiah’s poetic oracles, form the heart of his message: commitment to the prophet’s calling despite persecution and suffering; condemnation of the people’s religious and moral behavior; and complaints against God.

In today’s pericope, Jeremiah announces God’s “new covenant” with the exiles when they return from captivity. This new covenant does not replace the Mosaic covenant: God’s relationship with Israel remains the same, the Torah remains the same; God is still “their God” and the Israelites are still “God’s people.” Jeremiah articulates two new aspects of God’s covenant: a new knowledge of God and God’s forgiveness. First, God’s law is no longer external or outside the people, as the Ten Commandments were written on stone tablets; now, God’s law is internalized (“I will place my law within them”) and “written on their hearts.” Because God’s law in now “within,” every person knows God. This internal knowledge of God makes everyone equal in divine understanding, “from the greatest to the least.” Second, God forgives Israel’s turning away from God (“I will forgive their evildoing”); these former failings have no place in the new covenant (“I will remember their sin no more”).

The Lectionary editors chose this reading because it describes God creating “new covenant;” Christians believe Jesus establishes this new covenant for all with his transformational death and resurrection.

Second reading (Heb 5:7-9)

The second reading is from the letter to the Hebrews. Based on the author’s elegant Greek and quotations from the Septuagint (Greek version of Hebrew scripture), scripture scholars believe the author was an unknown, well-educated Jewish Christian writing to Jewish Christian readers, possibly in Rome, between 75 and 90 AD. Hebrews is a long theological reflection on the early Christian profession of faith that Christ died for us and our sins. The Hebrews author’s important themes are faith and faithfulness.

Earlier in this section of Hebrews, the author describes the work of the human high priest, who stands in solidarity with humans and who acts as mediator between God and humans. In today’s pericope, the author shows how Christ acts a greater high priest, both in solidarity with humans and as mediator between God and humans. The author shows Christ’s solidarity with other humans (“in the flesh”) through his obedience to God (“he learned obedience from what he suffered”), an experience Christ shares with all humans. The “prayers and supplications” Christ offered to God (“the one able to save him from death”) point back to the lamentation psalms (especially Ps 22, as well as Ps 3 and 5). God heard these prayers (“he was heard because of his reverence”) and vindicated Christ by raising him from the dead and glorifying him. The author identifies Christ as mediator by showing Christ as “the source of eternal salvation;” that is, through Christ’s life, passion, and transformative death (“when he was made perfect”), he saves all humans. No human high priest could accomplish this saving work.

The Lectionary editors chose this reading because Jesus’ prayers and supplications connect with Jesus’ hour in the gospel.

Gospel (Jn 12:20-33)

John’s gospel presents Jesus coming face to face with the “hour.” Recognizing that his saving work is coming to a close, he releases his earthly life so he can glorify the Father. Jesus’ lifting up exposes the ruler of this world.

• The whole world. Just before this pericope, the Pharisees grumble that “the whole world” is beginning to follow Jesus (Jn 12:19). John underlines the Pharisees’ remark when he says that “some Greeks,” probably gentile proselytes, ask to “see” Jesus. Andrew and Philip alert Jesus, who recognizes the Greeks’ arrival as a sign that his universal mission is complete and the hour of his “lifting up” and glorification is near.
• Grasping vs letting go. Jesus’ grain of wheat saying refers to the cycle of death and life, and the earthly giving way to the heavenly. He connects this saying with the revelation about losing and preserving one’s life, a graceful letting go rather than a fearful grasping.
• The purpose of this hour. Jesus admits “the hour” troubles him, but he asserts that this is the purpose for which he came. Jesus accomplishes his mission only when he is lifted up and glorifies the Father through his transformational death.
• God’s affirming voice. Some in the crowd hear thunder (as at Sinai); others think an angel speaks to Jesus. Jesus corrects them: the voice is for their benefit, another opportunity for them to believe in him and reject the “ruler of this world.” Jesus’ lifting up will bring judgement on the world and expose the “ruler of this world” and his followers. Jesus’ transformative death draws everyone to him, gathering all those who believe into one community.

Summary and reflection

Lent’s readings call us to walk with Jesus as he prepares for his transformative death. Today’s readings ask us to think about change: when others ask us to change, or when we choose to change ourselves. Jeremiah announces God’s new covenant, which calls people to change by hearing God’s law, written on their hearts. The Hebrews author reminds his hearers that Christ changes human relationship with God through his solidarity with us and his role as mediator for us with God. Jesus recognizes that when the gentiles begin to believe, his saving and glorifying mission is ending.

Throughout Lent, the readings call us to change our minds and hearts and to transform how we think and act. Today’s readings suggest that we can experience a call to metanoia (change of mind/heart) from both outside and inside forces. How is God showing us what we need to change? Where do we encounter the call to change? When will we gracefully let go of what we think is important so God can give us what we truly need?

—Terence Sherlock   ☘

21 March 2021: Fifth Sunday of Lent B

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