The God of the Second Chance

Third Sunday of Lent







On this Third Sunday of Lent, we hear the story in Luke's Gospel about the fig tree that has been tended by the gardener for three years but has borne no fruit. The owner of the orchard sees this fig tree as a lost cause and orders his gardener to cut it down.

The gardener, however, asks that he be given one more opportunity to cultivate the tree. The owner of the orchard agrees and so the fig tree was given a second chance.

Isn't this so like our experiences with our God? He is the gardener of our souls who sees when we fail... when we sin... when our lives fall apart and we cannot bear fruit.

Does God give up on us? Doesn't He offer His hand to us instead? A hand of mercy and forgiveness so that we can repent and return to Him through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

God takes people who have failed and repented and gives them new life. God never gives up on us. He gives us many second chances! Just look at the life of Moses to see examples of the many second chances he was given.

Moses was saved from death as an infant when Pharaoh's daughter found him in a basket among the reeds at the bank of a river. He was raised in the royal household. When he grew up, Moses discovered the plight of his people, the Israelites, saw the injustice in their lives and murdered one of the people who was tormenting them. He became a wanted man. But that was not the end of the story for Moses. God selected him to lead His people to the Promised Land. God glorified Moses in front of his enemies.

Our God is like that. New opportunities grow out of our failures. God wants us to take up our cross and follow Jesus up the hill to Calvary. He does not want us to be fearful; but to have courage. He wishes us never to give in to the evil one. He wants us to know that with failure comes new life. Crucifixion becomes Resurrection.

We can be as confident as the Psalmist was, when he sang:

"He pardons all your iniquities; heals all your ills,
He redeems your life from destruction,
He crowns you with kindness and compassion." (Ps. 103)