Breakthrough Within: In-between repenting and perishing.

3.23.2025

3rd Mini Easter

[Texts]

Isaiah 55:1-9

Psalm 63:1-8

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Luke 13:1-9

Lenten blessings to you, holy and beloved siblings in Christ.

“Repent, for the time is short!” Jesus’s words ring loudly in Luke 13.

In Luke 12, right before the report to Jesus about Pilate's actions, Jesus warns His disciples with profound teachings: “Beware of the yeast—the yeast of the Pharisees—that is, their hypocrisy. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, and nothing hidden that will not be known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the rooftops.”

This warning reminds us that no secret remains unknown before God. Yet, this is merely the tip of the iceberg. The final verses from Isaiah 55:8–9, one of today’s readings, present an unparalleled contrast between our limited understanding and God’s boundless greatness: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Today, we are confronted by Jesus’ words, urging us to examine our spiritual health with honesty and humility. This brings to mind a scenario: imagine someone who feels unwell but cannot pinpoint the cause. Seeking help, this person consults the most renowned and trusted doctor, who delivers a clear diagnosis. Upon hearing the diagnosis, the patient hesitates, muttering, “It’s not fair! It can’t be that bad.” The doctor responds firmly, offering the only solution: “Change the way you live within a year, or the consequences will be irreversible.”

In a similar vein, Jesus calls out to us: “Repent, for the time is short.” His message leaves no room for excuses or justifications. Authentic repentance is not optional, and grace cannot be taken for granted—it is not "cheap grace."

Last Sunday evening, after a week of traveling and working, my husband and I decided to watch a movie titled Gone with the Light. The story begins with scenes of ordinary life—families at home, teachers and students at school, people on the streets, and workers in offices. Suddenly, many individuals vanish without explanation. Initially, I thought it might be similar to the movie The Rapture, but it wasn’t.

In the film, social media identifies a common trait among those who vanished: the Light only took those who truly loved each other. Chaos ensues among those left behind, including married couples questioning the meaning of true love and why they weren’t chosen. For some, their spouses disappeared with someone else—revealing the neglect of mutual love within their relationships. One of the most unjust scenarios involved a mistress confronting a wife at her workplace. The mistress accuses the wife of failing to love her husband enough, forcing her to divorce him and demanding her to look for the man together since he couldn’t be found.

At the end of the movie, I turned to my husband, unsure of which question to ask first. Instead, I wondered aloud: “What if God—the Light—takes away those who are truly faithful to God in our time? And what would that say about the remaining people in church, those who claim to be faithful? What lessons could remaining Christians learn from such a conspicuous event?”

If such an event were to occur in our time, would we place blame on religious leaders and teachers for misleading us about true faith? What is the kind of faith that can move mountains, as Jesus describes? While I cannot define the exact measure of true faith, Jesus makes two things crystal clear:

1. God expects us to bear the fruits of His Spirit, yet the evidence of fruit-bearing is declining.

2. God entrusts us to equip a great army of disciples to carry out the Great Commission, yet the number of laborers in the mission field is lacking.

After Jesus’ resurrection and before His ascension, He gave His disciples final commands, which are known as the Great Commission—a mission He had already initiated and implemented. The Great Commission, found in Matthew 28:18–20, is expressed through Jesus’ words:

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

What would you fill in the blank to complete the following sentence? The Great Commission cannot be accomplished without _______________. To complete the sentence, we might consider these options:

• The Triune God’s support

• The Bible—listening and proclaiming liturgy on Sunday

• Commissioned people—sending through Sunday’s liturgy

• Prayers

• Transformation

Knowing the Great Commission is just the beginning. Fully embracing it means integrating its purpose into what we do. Transformation elevates this embrace to a deeper level of commitment. Is transformation something we can actively cultivate, or does it happen spontaneously and without discernible signs?

This question reminds me of my early days as a parent, when my daughter began to understand commands. Following the example of other parents, I taught her phrases like, “Be kind, respect others, obey teachers and elders, and love one another.” Yet, deep down, I never believed her transformation happened simply because I disciplined her. Transformation, I have come to realize, only occurs in those moments when she truly understands and experiences the life-giving power of kindness, respect, love, and humble obedience. These moments are hers to own and share, just as I have my own transformation stories—and so do you.

In Lent, we depart daily in the morning or weekly on Sunday from the foot of Jesus’s cross, striving to trust the promise of Baptism and reach the joy of Jesus’s resurrection. That’s why we call each Sunday a mini-easter Sunday. Our day-to-day or week-to-week journey matters immensely to God—and what God desires to see in-between the cross and the resurrection is our transformation. 

Our transformation stories help us to accomplish the Great Commission through storytelling. They help young and new believers foresee the possibilities of their own transformation while being caught in between despair and hope, in between doubt and persistence, or in between repenting and perishing.

We know that repentance means turning back to God, facing God to glimpse the reflection of our creator in us—a reminder of the salvation and redemption we are called to live out. By contrast, perishing is turning inward, seeking selfish desires that isolate us from the reconciliation offered through God's forgiveness.

Repentance is not a threat of judgment but an opportunity to embrace Jesus’ way of living. Jesus promises that our connection with him is through faith, as branches to the Vine that sustains and empowers us to flourish for God’s kingdom. Lent, then, is a journey of drawing closer to God and becoming a reflection of what believing and trusting God is all about in both the small and significant aspects of our lives.

The Good News for today lies in Jesus’ call to repentance and in the patience and mercy of God. God’s grace is freely offered regardless of past mistakes or circumstances. Our Lord Jesus, walking alongside us with the heavy cross upon Him, is the gardener who intercedes for us—giving us time to grow spiritually and bear the fruits of repentance.

Let us praise God with renewed hope whenever we face challenges and setbacks. Let us stand firm by grace through faith whenever we find ourselves persistently extending God’s grace and offering a listening ear to those in need, even when it is difficult.  Let us rejoice whenever broken relationships are healed by going the extra mile with love and humility as we serve those in need.  

May the peace of God guard our hearts and minds and hold us steady in faith even during hectic and stressful times. Thanks be to God for this season of Lent, for the community of faith, for the Word of God, for the Holy Communion, and for the precious gift of repentance. 

Amen.