The essential story of the Bible can be said to be in one sentence from John “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son”. Everything in the Bible flows to and from it. It reveals through action God’s mind and heart, God’s desire to create and restore humankind. It is the story contained in today’s other two readings as well.

This world that God so loved is not some idealized place where people try to live in justice and peace. This world, with all the crime, dishonesty, war and constant feuding the divide people, with all it’s greed and immorality and pettiness, the world is so loved by God that he wanted to bring healing and new life to it.

The first reading gives us a summary of Israel’s rebellion against the God who gave them life. It says “the princes of Judah, priests and the people added infidelity to infidelity, practicing all abominations of the nations and polluting the Lord’s temple. They mocked the messengers of God, despised his warnings and scoffed at his prophets.” Even then God, in his mercy and love saved them from the exile and allowed them to rebuild the temple.

St. Paul says “When we were dead in our transgressions, God brought us to life with Christ.” Jesus Christ is the way to salvation, forgiveness and new life for human race and for each of us. Jesus Christ is the bridge between our sin and God’s healing. The poison of sin infects our world and us. We cannot expel sin on our own. Jesus says, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Msn be lifted up that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” Jesus would draw out the poison of sin in our life and replace it with the grace of new life.

Not to trust in the mercy, fidelity and love of God is itself a sin. In the wilderness Moses doubted the fidelity and love of God once. The Lord punished him, not allowing him to enter the Promised Land. Even after all the failures of Israel God loved them and saved them.

Lent is not a time simply to sympathize with the cross of Jesus, but to embrace it, i.e., to begin once more to follow Jesus with our life. It is not the gazing but the faithful following that brings healing and new life.