Scripture Notebook Michael Barnes SJ

Fourth Sunday in Lent
Christ our Light
2 Chronicles 36: 14-16, 19-23 • Exile and Restoration
These are the last verses of the Hebrew Bible and hring it to a suitably optimistic end. Despite the sins of die people, the profanation of the Temple and ridicule of God's prophets, God is ultimately merciful. After the Exile they are allowed to return to their land and to rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem..
It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of the Temple in the religious life of the people, The Temple was God's own house and the visible sign of His presence. But it was all too easy to look upon the Temple as a semi-magical talisman which afforded protection against evil whatever one's standard of moral conduct.
The prophets, Jeremiah in particular, were only too ready to point Out that God could not be con fined within four walls, presence could be withdrawn if the people showed themselves unworthy of it.
When the Temple is restored attention should he paid not only to the careful and exact performance of ritual but to the claims of social justice as well. The experience of exile can he deadening and destructive but, if the lessons of failure and sin are learnt, it
can also have a genuinely redemptive value.
When the people prayed for help, God relented and told Moses to set up a bronze serpent on a pole; if anyone who had been bitten looked at the serpent he would live (Numbers 21:491.
In the same way those in darkness have only to look at the Crucified Christ with the eyes of faith to have eternal life. The world may he covered in darkness, yet God fills it with light by sending His only Son, the source of light and life.
Once the light has shone in the world no one has any excuse not to find the Way to eternal life: he is set up on high for at to see, as Jesus waF raised on the Cross. The decision to be made is clear; belief and eternal life or refusal arid eternal darkness. For John there is no third possibility.
Lphesians 2: 4-10 Cod's Work of Art
The theme of exile and return, writ so large in the history of Israel, receives a more theological treatment at the hands of Paul. We who were dead through our sins have nevertheless been brought back to life with Christ and share a place with him at the right hand of his Father.
The idea of our sharing this new life with Christ is particularly strong here.
It is an indication of the highly mystical nature of Paul's ideas — the Christian is intimately associated with Christ. He is said to suffer with Christ, to be crucified with him. to die with him, to be raised and glorified with him.
This work of salvation has already been begun — we have been formed by God as his own wbrk of art. But at the same time it has still to be brought to a definitive conclusion. Nevertheless the free gift of God's grace which has raised us up with Christ is itself a guarantee that we are alive to God and are able to live the life he intends for us.
John 3: 14-21 From Darkness to Light Nicodemus is the timorous Pharisee who comes to see Jesus by night. Perhaps he was afraid of what his friends might think. Whatever his reasons, he has become for us the example of the sinner who conies to faith through his contact s ith Jesus.
Jesus speaks of his being lifted up "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert." The Israelites were having one of their regular moaning sessions. They complained of the hardships they had to endure in the wilderness and so God punished them by sending a plaque of serpents.