by Fr. Tommy Lane
During the third and fourth Sundays of Lent this year, and today the fifth Sunday of Lent, we listened to Gospel passages from John and in each of them Jesus spoke about his forthcoming passion and death. Today we heard Jesus say,
unless a grain of
wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of
wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit. (John 12:24)
When a farmer sows a crop it yields a harvest, and Jesus is the grain of wheat who died to harvest us for his kingdom. Thank God we are part of God’s harvest as a result of Jesus dying. In baptism, we joined ourselves to Jesus to be part of his harvest. It is a very costly harvest. It cost Jesus. Just as a wheat grain has to die to produce a harvest, Jesus died to harvest us. His life was poured out so that we could be part of his harvest. He shed his blood for the New Covenant.
During the Last Supper, Jesus identified the chalice of wine with his blood that he was going to shed the following the day. In Luke, Jesus says over the chalice, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood poured out for you.” (Luke 22:20) We have a slightly different wording in Mark where Jesus says, “This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, poured out for many.” (Mark 14:24) In Matthew we have another variation, “this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matt 26:28) These are combined into what we hear the priest pray over the chalice during the consecration:
this is the chalice of
my Blood,
the Blood of the new and eternal covenant,
which
will be poured out for you and for many
for the forgiveness of
sins.
When we make an agreement, we sign our name to it. When God made the Old Covenant with Moses at Sinai, the covenant, or the agreement, so to speak, was signed by Moses sacrificing animals and sprinkling their blood on an altar (which represented God) and on the people (Exod 24:6-8). For the New Covenant, the life and blood of Jesus was poured out to seal the New Covenant with us:
unless a grain of
wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of
wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit. (John 12:24)
Thank God we are part of his harvest as a result of Jesus dying. But it is a very costly harvest. It cost Jesus. Jesus died to harvest us.
The first reading today from the prophet Jeremiah (31:31-34) looks forward to the New Covenant. It is the only place in the entire Old Testament where you find the phrase “new covenant.” Other prophets said there would be another covenant but described it as an “everlasting covenant.” (Isa 55:3; 61:8; Ezek 16:60; 37:26; Bar 2:35) Only Jeremiah said there would be a “new covenant.” He was inspired. Jesus used Jeremiah’s words over the chalice during the Last Supper. At the end of today’s excerpt from Jeremiah, the Lord promises forgiveness of sins will be associated with the new covenant. That is what we hear the priest pray over the chalice during the consecration:
this is the chalice of
my Blood,
the Blood of the new and eternal covenant,
which
will be poured out for you and for many
for the forgiveness
of sins.
Between the Last Supper and Jesus’ death on Calvary, he had to undergo his agony in Gethsemane as well as his trial before the Sanhedrin and then before Pilate. We are familiar with the accounts of Jesus’ agony in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Our second reading today from the Letter to the Hebrews is really another account of Jesus’ agony but from a different point of view. In it we hear that Jesus,
offered prayers and
supplications with loud cries and tears
to the one who was able
to save him from death,
and he was heard because of his
reverence. (Heb 5:7)
It tells us that Jesus prayed with loud cries and tears to his Father who could save him from death and his prayer was heard. But we know that Jesus died so what does it mean? His prayer was heard in his resurrection. Jesus’ resurrection was the answer to his prayer with cries and tears.
We can never forget that Jesus did all of this for love of us. We know that the risen Jesus appeared to the apostles in Galilee and asked Peter three times if he loved him (John 21:15-17). It was Jesus’ way of undoing Peter’s three denials of Jesus. But as we reflect on Jesus’ passion, his dying like a grain of wheat to harvest us for his kingdom, we cannot but help question our own love for Jesus. Do we love Jesus who died to harvest us?
© Fr. Tommy Lane 2021
This homily was delivered in a parish in Ireland.
More Homilies for the Fifth Sunday of Lent Year B
The sanctifying grace of the New Covenant 2009
Jesus’ hour of glory: God’s thinking versus ours
Related: Gospel Andrew 2024
First reading: New Covenant