New Creation of Goodness Holiness Community & Eternal Life 5th Sunday Lent Year A
Ezekiel 37:12-14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45
According to an incorrect interpretation of today’s second reading from Romans, the spirit is good while the body is bad. This interpretation, though, contradicts the Bible’s account of God creating the universe. According to the first chapter of Genesis, God created all the material world, including fleshly aspects, as good, and God created the first man and woman as very good. (Genesis 1: 24, 31) In addition, as Brant Pitre observes, Paul, in another letter, specifies what he means when he wrote, “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
In Galatians chapter five, Paul contrasts the “works of the flesh”, not the flesh itself, as bad, while describing the “fruits of the spirit” as good. Bad works of the flesh include “immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like.” (Galatians 5:19-21) Good works of the spirit include “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control”. (Galatians 5:22-23) Since both the bad works of the flesh and the good works of the spirit are done in the body, obviously, Paul is not condemning the body. Instead, the phrase “works of the flesh” refers to sinful acts we commit with our bodies, while “fruits of the spirit” refers to virtuous acts we commit with our bodies.
In Galatians chapter six, Paul further explains that our Baptism into Christ’s life has incorporated us into “a new creation.” (Galatians 6:15) This new creation, comments Pitre, contrasts with the old creation of sin, death, and the devil.[1]
In Romans chapter eight, from which today’s second reading is drawn, Paul describes our condition of living in Christ’s life as consisting of living in two worlds: the old creation of sin, death, isolation, and the devil, and the new creation of goodness, holiness, community, and eternal life.
The Gospel passage encourages us to focus our attention on the new creation of goodness, holiness, and eternal life. In the passage, Jesus is described as loving “Martha and her sister and Lazarus,” and yet when Jesus hears that Lazarus is ill, he chooses to stay “two days longer in the place where he was.” (John 11:5-6) If someone told me that my friend is very ill and I decide to visit him a few days later, knowing that he may die before I arrive, this may indicate that I do not love my friend very much. However, Jesus loves all of us infinitely, so why did he wait to visit Lazarus? Jesus waited because he had something greater to offer Lazarus and all of us, which is not eternal life in this world, the old world of sin, death, and the devil but rather eternal life in the world to come, the new creation of goodness, holiness, and eternal life, that we already participate in but not yet fully.
Lord Jesus, grant us the grace to believe more deeply in the new creation of goodness, holiness, community, and eternal life, especially when we experience sin, death, and the evil one in our lives. – May God Bless You All – Father Peter
[1] Brant Pitre, “The Fifth Sunday of Lent, (Year A),” catholicproductions.com.
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