As we get to the halfway point of Lent, we may be tempted to overconfidence: “The first three weeks weren’t so hard. I can go a few more weeks without the things I gave up. And I’ve only committed a few sins; maybe I’ll go to confession right before Easter.” If so, it might be a good idea to look at the second reading and the Gospel.
St. Paul says that anyone who is overconfident about their lack of sin “should take care not to fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). He compares those people to the ones Moses brought through the desert. In fact, many were punished because they were tempted to follow false gods or to complain about the food and drink God provided them. Could the same thing happen to us?
One form of overconfidence rejecting what we learned as children. We may think, “I’m old enough to decide if I should go to church” or “I can take care of myself now; I don’t need God’s help.” If these sound familiar because you have thought that way yourself, Paul has a warning. His analogy of the Rock following the Hebrews in the desert refers to God’s constant presence to the people. In the same way, God is present to us today. But just as God was not pleased with those in the desert, God may not be pleased with us if we continue to ignore the Lord.
That brings us to the Gospel. In the parable of the fig tree, the owner is not pleased—the tree has not produced any fruit. Unlike the fig tree, God would be happy with any fruit we produce. We could be generous to the poor, we could fight for the unborn child’s right to life, or we could simply teach our children how to pray. Like the owner of the fig tree, God is patient, but we only have so much time. When do you plan to bear fruit?
Tom Schmidt, Diocesan Publications