Daily Readings - Fri Sep 14 2018
First Reading - Numbers 21.4-9 or Philippians 2.6-11
Numbers
4From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way.5And the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food."6Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.7And the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people.8And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live."9So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
Philippians
6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,7but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
John
13No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.16"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of salvation, trust, and the profound love of God. In the first reading from Numbers, we hear the story of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness, tired and discontent. They complain about their hardships and even speak against God and Moses, blaming them for their struggles. As a result, God sends fiery serpents to afflict the people. Recognizing their sin, the people repent and ask Moses to intercede for them. Moses prays, and God provides a remedy: a bronze serpent lifted up on a pole. Those who gaze upon it are healed. This story reminds us that even in our darkest moments, God’s mercy and love are always available to us if we turn to Him with humble hearts.
In the Gospel, Jesus draws a connection between the bronze serpent and Himself. Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert to save the people, Jesus will be lifted up on the cross for the salvation of the world. The famous words of John 3:16 remind us of the depth of God’s love: He gave His only Son so that all who believe in Him might have eternal life. This passage emphasizes that God’s plan is not one of judgment but of salvation. Jesus’ death on the cross is an act of love, a gift that heals the wounds of sin and restores us to relationship with God.
These readings call us to reflect on our own relationship with God. Like the Israelites, we often face challenges and uncertainties in life. It’s easy to lose faith or grow impatient, but the bronze serpent and the cross remind us that God’s love is always at work, even when we can’t see it. Let us gaze upon the cross with the same faith as those who looked upon the bronze serpent, trusting that Jesus’ sacrifice brings us healing and eternal life. May we approach each day with gratitude for God’s love and with the courage to trust in His plan, even when the journey is difficult.