I will love them freely,
for my anger has turned from them.
5 I will be like the dew to Israel;
he shall blossom like the lily,
he shall strike root like the forests of Lebanon.
6 His shoots shall spread out;
his beauty shall be like the olive tree,
and his fragrance like that of Lebanon.
7 They shall again live beneath my shadow,
they shall flourish as a garden;
they shall blossom like the vine,
their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
8 O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols?
It is I who answer and look after you.
I am like an evergreen cypress;
your faithfulness comes from me. (Hosea 14: 4-8)
The readings throughout the season of Lent give us a glimpse into the inner life of God. Contrary to our catechetical approach, the prophets show us a God who is not distant, not impassionate or disinterested. Through the prophet, God calls out in heart-wrenching cries because His people have abandoned Him. Saint Mark notes how Jesus' heart was moved with pity for the crowd (CF. Mk. 6:34). The God of Israel is not indifferent to the self-absorption of His people. Seeing them on a self-destructive path, He immerses Himself in their rescue.
Jesus, who only does what He sees the Father do, sees the impending doom of the city He loves and is so moved with pity that He sobs. The Son of God weeps uncontrollably because the eyes of His people are dry and tearless and their hearts were unmoved. God had created human beings in His image and likeness and yet they were cold and unresponsive to the needs of the poor and marginalized. This is the horror of the parable of the Good Samaritan. Seeing the man naked and bleeding on the side of the road, a priest and a Levite both cross the road and do nothing, all in the name of ritual purity (CF. Lk. 10: 30-37). Jesus came into the world to seek out the lost. Sinners do not contaminate Him, but by touching them, He makes them whole and pure.
Because God's compassion flows from the depths of His being, those who were brought into being by a breath of His mouth can learn to be fully human again. The prophet begs the people to repent of their sins and set their gaze on God. Man is rebellious and burdened with sin, yet the divine potter loves the work of His hands. Through the words of the prophet, God speaks heart-to-heart with His people, giving heart to those who had forgotten how to feel. Through the Eternal Word, God invites every man, woman and child to offer the one sacrifice that is truly pleasing to Him, a heart consumed by the fire of divine love.
God is jealous of His handiwork and will not be satisfied with anything less than fruition of His creative will. During these days of Lent we fast and abstain from our ungodly appetites so as to come to the fullness of life in Christ. The prophet attempts to awaken in us a desire to be all that we were meant to be and to heighten our dissatisfaction with what we have made of ourselves. God does not ask for costly sacrifices. What He desires are words of repentance flowing from a contrite heart. When our conscience moves us to cry for deliverance, the Lord leans down from His majestic throne on high and answers us. At that moment we are not far from the kingdom of God.
Father Jerome Machar, OSCP
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