Fourth Sunday in Lent

Today I want to talk with you about snakes or serpents. We here in the US are very well known with snakes. In many States we have them, like here in Missouri. And we don't want the grass get too high so they can hide in the grass. This could be dangerous for our pets. But today we talking about snakes or serpents in the desert. That can sound familiair to us as well. So often we are in a spiritual desert that has so many dangerous....even snakes, serpents. If you are afraid of snakes, today is not your day. But, it can offer you the insight about how the reading from Hebrew Scripture in Numbers connects with John's Gospel.

There is no more familiar passage in all of Scripture than John 3:16. It can been seen on billboards, bumper stickers and in so many other places. But as familiar as the sixteenth verse of John’s third chapter is, so unknown is the verses immediately preceding it, to many people. Here, Jesus makes reference to Moses lifting up a snake in the wilderness. This refers back to one of the most bizarre stories in Torah. The story to which Jesus is referring is found in the book of Numbers. Here, we encounter the Hebrew people, having long been liberated from the Egyptians, but still wandering in the wilderness in search of the land which has been promised. The longer they wander, the crankier they become. They take aim at God and Moses alike, crying out in petulant frustration.



We hear how the people of Israel kept on complaining against Moses and God. And we all know that complaining does not bring us forward. Only looking up to Heaven will bring us forward. It is not the serpent that heals the people but God. We should not look up to politicians, celebrities, doctor, scientists and yes.....not even the Covid vaccin as means of our salvation. On the long run none of that determine if we live or die! It is only God that can preserve our lives, now and in eternity. Of course, he can use any of these means that I mentioned to heal us and make it better for us. But it is not the solution in itself, without the presence of God. Without God, all our efforts to sustain life are meaningless. The Hebrews are fearful, tired and had enough of the desert. Just like we right now have enough of that pandemic. If you like them escaped brutal slave labor and after a long time still in the desert, it is easy to forget the end goal...the promised land. They were plagued by lack of food and water and now on top of that there are the snakes. Why? Because they kept on complaining against got and forgot about the end goal. So if we remember last time we found ourselves complaining, then we can mirror that in the book of numbers. Most of the times we are in familiar space, but the Hebrews didn’t even know where “there” was. Being miserable is something we try to avoid, but how we handle it really hasn’t changed much.


The power goes off and we complain with the City. The waiter tells us the food we want is not available and we complain. The water is shut off and we get mad with the water company. And there are so many other examples where we complain. As said we find the ancient Israelites on their journey out of Egypt becoming downright anxious and impatient on the way. Their transition has been long and is far from over. That is why they challenged both God and Moses. They even complain of the food and drink. They grumble like spoiled children. Did they perhaps expect gourmet or barbecue in the desert? They have forgotten they are on their way home to the Promised Land. They have lost sight of the purpose and meaning of their journey. The desert and its hardships have robbed them not only of patience, but of perspective and hope as well. Only by a kind of plague they come to their senses. The poisonous serpents are a wake up call to them. Only when those bitten by the serpents look upon the serpent of bronze raised by Moses do they once again come to live.


Our world is also in crisis on many levels and we look in the wrong direction for hope. We look to the government, science, doctors, celebrities, instead of the creator of the universe. If we don't have the right perspective it is easy to lose hope and to despair, as did the ancient Israelites. Indeed, today, as in ancient times, there seems to be no end of complaint and blame. Yet few are willing to look in the mirror. Perhaps we too need a bronze serpent to gaze upon. Perhaps we too need to face our fears and learn once again to live. So is there anything left for us to rejoice about on Laetare Sunday, halfway through this discontented Lenten season? The season itself suggests that there is. Lent is a time of reflection, repentance, and prayer. It is a time to allow the Lord to change us and be regenerated towards the Feast of Easter. And that has little to do with the things we worry about. Jesus himself gives us today the best reason for rejoicing. God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Wow! That is a great verse! That is the kind of promise we can believe in.


Totally different from the empty promises of the world! If we want to see it: there is plenty of room for hope and even joy. The narrative of the Old Testament in particular, and Scripture in general, is one of a relentless and undeterred God doing whatever it takes to maintain a relationship with humankind. But the way God chooses to do it is often beyond our imagination. As we continue on our Lenten journey, there may be no more important time to accept that we have our fears. It was only when the Hebrew people brought that which they feared most into full view, were they made whole. The same is true for us. As we come into full view of the cross and the reality of death, it is only by walking headlong into death’s dark shadow that we come to know the fullness of Christ’s resurrected life. Just as Moses lifted up the serpent up for the well being of the people so Jesus was lifted up for our salvation. We need to look at the cross. Not as the martyr tool that it is but what it represents. Namely: “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”! Amen.