Daily Readings - Wed Sep 14 2022
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
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.