Weekly HOMILY for March 7, 2010: The Name of God

3rd Sunday of Lent
Cycle C
March 6-7, 2010
Our Lady of Grace


Taking God’s Name in Vain

When I was a child, I learned early on not to take God’s name in vain.

My parents and teachers taught me that there is a good way to use the name of God or Jesus. This is usually when we pray.

And there is also a bad way to use God’s name. This was like when I fell off my bike and scraped my knee or when I now lose my patience with traffic.

There are also some other ways that we commonly use God’s name. Insurance companies call storms and earthquakes “acts of God.”

In our Christian history, the inquisition and even executions were seen as the “work of God” in defense of truth. Wars have been fought “in the name of God.”

And, of course, accidents, sickness, and even death have sometimes been referred to as “the will of God.” In contrast to all of this, today’s Scripture readings give us two valuable insights into our use of God’s name.


Jesus’ Lesson on the Name

First, Jesus solidly challenges anyone who would use God’s name in the ways I just mentioned.

Some people were questioning Jesus about the Galileans whom the Roman ruler Pilate put to death. They figured that these people must have been sinners and deserved what they got.

Jesus responds: “Do you think that these Galileans were the greatest sinners because they suffered this fate? By no means!”

And then Jesus adds: “Or what about those eighteen people on whom that building collapsed? Do you think they were worse than anyone else? No way!”

So Jesus is saying: Don’t evaluate the lives of others by events like these and don’t use the name of God in this way. Instead, focus on yourself and your need to grow in the ways of God.

The road to life and being close to God is not just intellectually assenting to certain truths. It is not just reciting or accepting a creed or profession of faith.

Instead, the road to life is trying to live God’s way or Jesus’ way the best we can. This is what the parable of the fig tree is about.

The vinedresser is the image of God who is patient and gives the tree time to produce. But even that wonderful care does not substitute for the fig tree’s own inner resources.

So, we, like the fig tree, must not in the name of God denounce others – that is shallow religion and homilies that do this are shallow. We need instead to be looking at ourselves and working to grow in the name and identity of God.


God’s Lesson on the Name

And then in the first reading God himself gives us a lesson about using his name.

Moses wants to know God’s name. God simply says: “I am,” or “I am who am.”

God is implying: “Don’t fence me in. Don’t put me in a box and try to control me.”

Implied in this name that God gives himself is that we humans are not to assume that we know all about God. Implied in this is that we are never to say that God is here but not there, behind this but not behind that, and on it goes.

Just last Friday evening, at the Lenten Souper, someone came up to me and said that you must be a Christian to be saved. Those who do not explicitly believe in Jesus cannot be saved.

Well, as I responded to that person, no question, we believe that Jesus is the fullness of God and we want everyone to know and believe in Jesus. And we believe that the way of Jesus has been faithfully passed down in our Catholic tradition and we want to invite everyone to this.

But, and this is crucial, we cannot limit or box God in. God also acts in Judaism and Islam and Hinduism and on it goes.

And persons in those religions or in no religion can also be saved. That is one of the valuable insights and teachings of the Second Vatican Council.

We ought not to take the name of God in vain by saying that God does not save these people. This is the implication of the name that God gives himself – “I am who am.”


Conclusion

So, some strong lessons this morning about God and God’s name and how to use and not use that name!