Daily Readings - Wed Sep 14 2022
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
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful images that connect the Old Testament and the New Testament, revealing God’s plan of salvation. The first reading from Numbers describes a moment of crisis for the Israelites as they journeyed through the wilderness. Tired and discontent, they rebelled against God and Moses, complaining about the hardships and the manna that had sustained them. As a consequence, God sent fiery serpents to afflict the people, but in His mercy, He provided a remedy: a bronze serpent lifted high on a pole. Those who gazed upon it in faith were healed. This story is not just a historical event; it is a foreshadowing of the ultimate act of salvation through Jesus Christ.
In the Gospel, John draws a direct connection between the bronze serpent and Jesus. Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, Jesus would be lifted up on the cross. The bronze serpent was a sign of salvation for the Israelites, and Jesus becomes the ultimate sign of salvation for all humanity. The Gospel emphasizes that God’s love for the world is so profound that He gave His only Son, not to condemn the world, but to save it. This act of love is the heart of the Christian faith. The cross, like the bronze serpent, is a symbol of healing and life for all who turn to it in faith.
These readings invite us to reflect on the nature of faith and trust in God. Like the Israelites, we often face challenges and uncertainties in our lives that can lead us to doubt or complain. Yet, in those moments, we are called to look to the cross, to gaze upon Jesus, who was lifted up for our salvation. The cross reminds us that God’s love is not abstract but concrete, demonstrated in the sacrifice of His Son. As we navigate our own journeys, may we learn to trust in God’s plan, even when the path is difficult. Let us turn to Jesus, the source of all healing and life, and may we always remember that God’s love is greater than any trial we may face.