Daily Readings - Tue Mar 31 2020
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.
John
21So he said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come."22So the Jews said, "Will he kill himself, since he says, 'Where I am going, you cannot come'?"23He said to them, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.24I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins."25So they said to him, "Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.26I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him."27They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father.28So Jesus said to them, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.29And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him."30As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful stories that invite us to reflect on the nature of faith, sin, and redemption. The first reading from Numbers describes the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness, where they grow weary and complain against God and Moses. Their discontent leads to a dramatic consequence: fiery serpents are sent among them, inflicting suffering and death. Yet, in their repentance, Moses intercedes, and God provides a remedy—a bronze serpent raised on a pole. Those who gaze upon it are healed. This story reminds us that sin has consequences, but God’s mercy is always available to those who turn to Him in faith.
The Gospel reading from John presents a very different scenario. Jesus speaks to the Jews about His divine origin and destiny, saying, “I am going, and you will seek me, but you cannot come where I am going.” The Jews misunderstand His words, interpreting them as a threat of self-destruction. Jesus clarifies that He is from above, while they are from below, and that unless they believe in Him, they will die in their sins. This exchange highlights the spiritual divide between Jesus and those who refuse to accept His identity as the Son of God. Yet, even in this tension, Jesus offers a promise: when He is “lifted up,” they will come to recognize who He truly is.
Both readings invite us to reflect on our relationship with God and our willingness to trust in His plan. The Israelites in the wilderness had to look upon the bronze serpent to be healed, just as we must look to Jesus, lifted up on the cross, to find salvation. The readings remind us that faith is not always easy—it requires us to let go of our doubts and fears and to trust in God’s providence, even when His ways seem mysterious or difficult to understand. As we navigate the challenges of our own lives, let us turn to Jesus, the “Beginning” and the ultimate source of truth and life. By gazing upon Him with the eyes of faith, we, too, can find healing and redemption.