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Jeremiah 17:5-10
Luke 16:19-31
If you ask someone where they are going for vacation next summer, it is unlikely that they will name the desert, any desert, as their tourist destination. Some adventurous persons might find a trek through the desert of Sinai a fascinating experience. But most of us prefer a more pleasant environment that promises some soothing relaxation after hectic months of work.
Many of the biblical readings in Lent remind us that our spiritual roots are precisely in desert places, like Sinai where Moses brought the exiles out of Egypt, and the prophet Elijah met God. On the First Sunday of Lent, we have already recalled Jesus going into the Wilderness of Judea not far from Jerusalem where he was tested by Satan.
Today the prophet Jeremiah confronts us with the stark reality of barrenness that characterizes a tree in the salty Dead Sea valley frozen in time with no refreshing seasonal fruit, nor even a leafy sprig of color on its branches. This, Jeremiah says, represents persons who trust only in their own human strength and turn away from God – to no avail, of course, since no one can escape God who searches the hearts of all. It is as if Jeremiah says to such a person, “You fool, go to the desert and see what you really have become.”
On the contrary, the prophet claims that anyone who trusts in the Lord is like a tree planted by waters which nourish its roots and produce colorful leaves and fruit even in a year of drought! Perhaps the poetic side of Jeremiah exaggerates a bit here, but he is really talking about how the Spirit of God can bring forth spiritual fruit in someone’s life even when the human circumstances seem to militate against any hope of growth.
Jeremiah reminds us today why we should all be adventurous during Lent by going into the desert metaphorically. The lessons we need to learn about perseverance in following the Spirit of God in good times as in hard ones only come clear in the searing truth of that environment free of all the human structures which make us think we are rich and alive, when we might only be utterly poor without God’s Spirit in our lives.
Jeremiah says it best. “More torturous than anything is the human heart, beyond remedy; who can understand it?” (v. 9) Certainly, we stumble often when we try to understand the movements of the heart of another person, even ourselves. God alone can truly understand our heart. May we be open to the Spirit-filled movements, which can bring us peace in this holy season.
(Father Paul Zilonka, C.P. is a Member of the Passionist Preaching Team of St. Paul of the Cross Province).
