Daily Readings - Sat Sep 14 2019
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 theme of salvation and the profound connection between the Old Testament and the New Testament. In the first reading from Numbers, we hear the story of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness, growing impatient and complaining against God and Moses. Their lack of faith leads to a punishment of fiery serpents, but God, in His mercy, provides a remedy: a bronze serpent lifted high on a pole. Those who gaze upon it are healed. This story is not just a historical account; it is a foreshadowing of the ultimate act of salvation through Jesus Christ.
In the Gospel, Jesus draws a direct parallel between the bronze serpent and Himself. Just as Moses lifted the serpent in the desert, Jesus must be lifted up on the cross. This act of being "lifted up" is both a physical reality—the crucifixion—and a spiritual truth. Jesus is the source of eternal life, and just as the Israelites looked upon the bronze serpent to be healed, we must look to Jesus in faith to receive the gift of salvation. The famous verse, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son," reminds us that God’s love is not merely sentimental but sacrificial. He gave His Son so that we might have eternal life, not condemnation.
These readings call us to reflect on our own faith journey. Like the Israelites, we often face challenges and uncertainties in life that can lead us to doubt or complain. Yet, in those moments, we are invited to look to the cross of Christ, the ultimate sign of God’s love and mercy. The cross is not just a symbol of suffering; it is a symbol of healing, forgiveness, and salvation. Let us ask ourselves: Do we trust in God’s plan, even when the journey is difficult? Do we turn to Christ in faith, knowing that He is our true healer and savior? May we, like the Israelites, gaze upon the cross and find the grace to persevere, trusting that God’s love will see us through even the darkest of times.