The opening verse in today’s gospel lesson takes us back to the story from the Book of Numbers 21:4-9 in the Hebrew Bible. Poisonous snakes are sent to punish the Israelites as they grow impatient and regret their decision to follow Moses and leave Egypt. They’re in the wilderness, hungry, thirsty, and tired of manna. The act of God sending venomous snakes to punish them to death is far from the image of God who is love. Rather, it is how this tragic incident is made sense by the author of the Book of Numbers according to their perception of God. This interpretation isn’t unusual if we think of ourselves doing something similar. When something unfortunate happens, we might try to make sense of it and find reasons why. We might link this unfavorable outcome to our past shortcomings as though we’re being punished.
The most interesting thing about the story of poisonous snakes is how Moses resolves this issue. He makes a bronze snake and puts it on a pole. (Did you know that the flag of the World Health Organization (WHO) has the snake-entwined staff symbol in the center known as the Rod of Asclepius, the Greek god of healing?) Anyone gazing upon the bronze serpent is spared from the venomous bites. This method, in my interpretation, urges the Israelites to shift their focus from the perilous ground where serpents slither to the bronze serpent aloft on the pole. This conversion of looking is called for to save themselves from lethal snake bites. This is a life-or-death situation. Jesus appropriates this bronze serpent symbol and applies it to himself: "Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." He becomes the serpent in the wilderness—not to be feared, but to be looked upon for salvation. The curative method remains consistent: whoever is elevated is to be earnestly observed. This necessitates a conversion of gaze—from the perilous ground to the elevated Savior. The call is clear: "Don't look downward, but look upward!" However, a crucial distinction arises. For us, it is not merely about looking up to Jesus on the cross, but looking through him and his teachings to discern the presence of God. The conversion of gaze evolves from looking upward to looking within. This introspective act becomes a conduit for experiencing and acknowledging the divine presence within ourselves. It instills in us confidence and conviction in Jesus' teachings about the kingdom of God. Rooted in this inner closeness to God that fosters unity, our confidence, conviction, trust, and faith in Jesus and his teachings deepen. This is the essence of "believing in Jesus"—not a mere adherence to a proposition, but an empirical connection that profoundly impacts our lives. Picture Jesus pointing to himself and proclaiming, "...whoever believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." Let us not overlook the significance of this gesture. Let's delve deeper, connecting it to his revelation regarding the inner dwelling of God's presence. He doesn't point to himself but directs our attention inward—toward the inner light of God that is universally available. "The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil." This light exposes our unwise actions, actions we may have been oblivious to. The contrast between light and darkness is about whether we’re skillful or unskillful in how we make of ourselves and how we respond to changing situations in life and dynamics in relationships. The action according to the light is always skillful, which leads us to long-term happiness. The action according to darkness is unskillful, which might make us happy but doesn’t last long. This unskillful result of unskillful actions for happiness enslaves us to seek more. But there’s nothing better unless the inner light of God is encountered. Stilling the mind and body in God’s presence is not for stress-reduction purposes. We don't engage in prayer and quiet reflection to merely inhabit the present moment. Instead, we immerse ourselves in the present to effect enduring change, leading us towards skillful behavior and genuine joy. Creating a gap between our entangled emotions and our observing presence allows the presence of God to fill that gap with discernment and peace. This is the transformative power of the light of God—turning our unwise actions into skillful ones. As we celebrate the resurrection today and are in the season of Lent, the gap we cultivate in God's presence becomes the birthing ground for our resurrected selves. This gap, affording us the time and space to become more skillful, guides us through Lent. Much like the cautionary phrase at London Underground stations, "Mind the gap," let us be mindful of and feel the gap within. |
Paul"...life up your love to that cloud [of unknowing]...let God draw your love up to that cloud...through the help of his grace, to forget every other thing." Archives
January 2025
|