Fourth Sunday of Lent [B]

 


FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT [B]


We’re covering a significant amount of historical ground as we listen to this passage from the Second Book of Chronicles (36:15-23). It’s a brief selection, but it summarizes a stretch of roughly 400 years (900 BC to 500 BC, approximately). Initially, the Israelites are enjoying what could be described as a time of bounty: they’ve settled themselves within the Promised Land; the borders are secure; prosperity has spread across the territory. Furthermore, the meeting tent has been replaced by a magnificent temple. 


A domino-effect ensues: bounty gives way to laxity; laxity gives way to infidelity; infidelity gives way to vulnerability; and vulnerability will give way to adversity. Let’s focus for a moment on the practice of infidelity. It means that you are no longer living in such a way that you can expect to be blessed. If the blessings disappear, then you are left in a state of vulnerability. Sooner or later, someone will take notice. 


The Assyrians will leave their mark on the northern region. And then they will be followed by the Babylonians. The Babylonians march through the north and eventually overtake the southern kingdom. They destroy the Jerusalem temple and subsequently force many of the Israelites into a life of exile. Now it becomes painfully clear: as a people, we have transitioned from bounty to laxity to infidelity to vulnerability and finally to adversity. 


God, however, refuses to stand by as a passive observer. Note the other two readings: they speak to the subjects of both love (John 3:16) and also mercy (Eph. 2:4). Paul reminds us that we are serving a God who is “rich in mercy.”  Elsewhere, Paul references God’s special ability to bring good out of bad (Rom. 8:28). Adversity represents something bad. And yet we can say that adversity has a way of breeding opportunity. 


In the midst of adversity, you suddenly are able to recognize the fact that distance has formed between you and the Lord. You’ve moved out of range. It’s time to reposition yourself so that the blessings can descend upon you. You’re making the most of an opportunity—an opportunity that derives from the experience of adversity. In other words, you repent. If you’re an Israelite, this clears the way so that a new superpower can take over. The Persians, in their benevolence, allow the Israelites to resettle and to rebuild their temple. 


Consider the example of a little boy and his toy boat. He’s been playing along the shore of a small pond. The boat gets away from him and now it’s drifting out near the center of the pond. After reflecting for a moment, the boy proceeds to throw stones into the water, aiming for the vicinity of the boat, but not for the boat itself. Each splash creates a ripple or a slight wave. The ripples buffet against the boat, causing it to edge closer and closer to the western shore of the pond. Trotting up the shoreline, the boy manages to reclaim his wayward boat. 


So you have stones being thrown, water splashing, the boat being rocked. But here’s what else you have: you have the retrieval of a cherished item—a lost item. The Babylonains create a mighty splash. It’s a turbulent period for Israel. But, with the help of the prophets, they learn to appreciate the fact that opportunity comes in the wake of adversity. They in turn repent; and by repenting they become repositioned. Previously lost, the Israelites now have found their way back. The unclaimed blessings are once again being claimed.  

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