Third Sunday of Lent, Year C Joh 4,5-42

Today, we witness various natural tragedies, such as floods or fires. After such events, we also witness solidarity among people. People help the handicapped with material and financial resources to support them at least a little. In the spirit of today’s Gospel, we could say that tragedies also make the rest of us repent. The people tell Jesus about the terrible deed of Pilate, who had some Galileans killed just as they were making a sacrifice. They threatened to do so, but at the same time, they condemned those who were killed, saying that they must have been great sinners if God punished them in this way, even during the sacrifice. Similarly, the people judged the 18 unfortunate on whom the tower in Siloam fell. When they tell this to Jesus, they expect him to tell them that it cannot happen to them because they are good and pious. But Jesus does not confirm their opinion or praise their lives. He sees both disasters as a warning to the Jews that if they do not repent, they, too, will perish. Jesus thus confirms that one of the ways God speaks to people is to draw them to Himself. It is precisely tragic events that are supposed to help people to become wise and better.

Jesus’s opinion contradicts what today’s pedagogical and catechetical psychology teaches. It does not allow any form of punishment in the education of children and students. The whole educational process should be carried out in an atmosphere of respect for a person, respect for his freedom, dialogue, and motivation. As admirable and necessary as this effort is, it also involves risks. They consist primarily of the fact that the generation of young people is too polarized and divided. Some will understand this and create valuable personalities out of themselves. Another part will not understand it and develop personalities that threaten everything and everyone because they are not afraid of anything or anyone. Social mechanisms do not work, so their harmfulness is minimized. It is probably necessary to eliminate the naivety that today’s man is in a heavenly state before sin and can behave flawlessly without external pressure.

This has never been the case in history, especially when falling into sins, and it is not the case today. And since God knows it best through various personal and social tragedies. He still wants to educate people today and help them focus their lives on the actual goal. He also replaces our reluctance to behave responsibly in life, lack of helpful fear of ourselves, and the fear of influencing others with kind strictness and courage. Even today, many people can only be moved to change their lives this way. Sometimes, even good people die because God wants their sacrifice to be united with the sacrifice of Jesus to save evil and sinful people. God did not choose a criminal to give his life for people, but he wanted him to be his son. And even today, they are daughters and sons of God who die to admonish and educate others with their death.

Jesus told the people they would also perish if they did not repent. He did not think Pilate would have them killed, or a tower would fall on them. He was thinking of the state and quality of their lives. If they do not live virtuously and sincerely, they will face a tragedy after death that can be compared to the above tragic events. In this sense, we understand all the tragedies we witness. No matter how terrible and inexplicable, a powerful voice always calls out to our senses. And think that it doesn’t concern us. Jesus said the word: “what” and thought of us. None of us is good and holy enough that we cannot be better and more holy.

Let‘s imagine that we would like to think about all the tragedies we have seen and experienced in life if we had learned from them; if every such event had helped us eliminate at least one sin, would we not be different people today? And because we don’t want to improve, people have to continue to die prematurely and unexpectedly because we are bad students in the school of life, and God loves us so much that He always calls us this and admonishes us to change our lives. Human help is needed to alleviate various tragedies. But that is only half of our attitude. The second is the willingness to reflect on one’s life, repent, and improve.