Daily Readings - Fri Sep 14 2018
First Reading - Numbers 21.4-9 or Philippians 2.6-11
Numbers
4They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way;5they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!"6Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.7The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people.8The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live."9So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.
Philippians
6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,10that 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 ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man.14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world 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.