10th March 2024 Lent 4
Numbers 21: 4–9
From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.’ Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.’ So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.
John 3: 14–21
And 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. ‘For 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. ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.’
Reflection:
It strikes me that the Old and New Testament readings could come from the one book. They seem very connected, and flow one to the other. As Moses lifted up the snake…The people were impatient – how human and how similar to people today. Impatient, dissatisfied, wanting for something but not even sometimes knowing what…
Today as we continue our journey through Lent, we are encouraged to think deeply about light and dark, life and death. We are reminded that it by grace we are saved- this is due to God’s goodness not our own doing.
We also are reminded that the reality is that the world we live in is very imperfect. People are becoming more and more self-centred and self-sufficient- including in a spiritual way. Speaking generally, I often am saddened as it seems so evident that many people in the world are becoming less aware of their need of God. Whereas once upon a time, children grew up with a knowledge of God and his precepts, now for many this is not so. The younger generations are becoming more and more ignorant about God, who he is, his teachings and his love. Scripture teachers are in short supply and the children often just do not come to hear about Jesus. Yet these readings today assure us that Jesus did not come to condemn but to save- for everyone who looks to him, who believes in him and who has faith in him will be saved by the mercy of God.
Paul in his letter to the Ephesians writes ….and we were by nature children of wrath. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved— … Too often, God is not seen as a necessary part of life or death. Unfortunately, many do not even consider their eternity but think of this life as all there is. So, they enjoy and be happy because tomorrow you may be gone! End of story! Its not that many of them are lovely people. I have a good friend who thinks that when life is o’er the book will be shut and ‘end of story’! And its sad…
So I have to wonder then- what’s the point? Often, it’s not until life turns sour and as they realise that the end really is nigh that they turn and consider their destiny. Yet sadly, even then still many do not seem to care.
Today our Gospel reading comes just after the well know story from John Chapter 3. Remember, Nicodemus has come to see Jesus at night and he finds out that there is more to life than what he first anticipated. He comes under the cover of darkness. And then it appears that he begins to see the light. He learns that heaven is attained not by his own merit, but only by the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ. He must be born again, born not of the flesh but of the Spirit. He must be transformed by the power of God working in his life.
One of the great blessings of sharing our faith with others is that we may just have the opportunity to see God’s amazing transforming power affecting another person’s life. I have seen it for myself and you probably have had experience of this as well. The power of this amazing grace can work incredible transformation in people’s lives.
Most likely God’s transforming power is far more effective in times of need. When the chips are down its common for people to turn to God. (They either turn to him or blame him for their circumstances- either way he is somehow included in the journey). The people in the wilderness found themselves in need of saving. They realised their need, that’s important – They realised their need…and turned back to God and lived. Many times I’ve seen where anger and bitterness just eats people up from the inside out. People turn away from God and like a snake bite the poison consumes them.
I had a great experience through the week, it was to participate in a program at the hospital called Schwartz Rounds. Its where an audience – staff- get to come and hear three or four colleges speak on a particular topic from personal experience. I was one of the speakers and the topic was ‘An experience that changed me’. I thought about giving a personal testimony about what a difference knowing Jesus has made in my life…. but that was not what the program was for and I shared accordingly on an experience that had affected my Chaplaincy work there. …
In this broken world, we need more good news stories, stories of hope and light. We need to be reminded ourselves and also remind others of our need to look to God and be saved. We turn to Christ and live. By accepting God’s grace for ourselves or offering this grace to those we meet in our everyday, we can make a difference. We make a difference by offering this grace to family, friends, neighbours and even to those who serve us in our daily life- I somehow don't think some of them get a lot of grace offered to them.
We all need encouraging, we all need to be reminded of God’s amazing grace that we believe in faith. I wonder then what it would look like if in our places of living and serving we simply told and listened to stories of ‘this powerful grace’ this week. If we stirred up each others faith and encouraged those who are on the edge of belief and no belief. Do you suppose that might open the way for more? Perhaps then we might all find ourselves living with greater hope for what remains before us in this life and in the next?
Luther once said ‘Faith is a work of God in us, which changes us and brings us to birth anew from God. It kills the old Adam, makes us completely different people in heart, mind, senses, and all our powers, and brings the Holy Spirit with it. What a living, creative, active powerful thing is faith!... Faith is always active.’
Faith changes us. Faith is not simply a way to receive eternal life, a ticket to heaven. Faith is itself a way of life. Everyone who believes in Jesus is promised eternal life. But eternal life doesn’t begin when we die. It begins when we believe.
Eternal life is simply a way of describing our being in a relationship with the one who created life, and who promises eternity to all who believe. Whether our world knows it or not, this is what it hungers for: Eternal life. And it is our call as disciples to remind them of this. To tell our story, to remind them, through our words and our actions, that God so loves them that He gave them His only Son, so that they, too, might come to believe, and by believing have their life changed forever.
As Moses lifted up the snake in the desert and the people looked to it and were saved, so, the Son of Man must be lifted up, for everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, and whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:14-17). It is not by our own doing but by the very grace of God.
Jesus was “lifted up” in the crucifixion, so that everyone who believes in Him, trusting not in themselves but trusting in him, would have eternal life. This was, and is, the supreme act of God’s indescribable amazing love and grace. And we are included in his story- how blessed are we then to be called children of God. What a difference knowing that makes to life. I pray that we will never take it for granted but in our hearts we will be confident every day of his great mercy and love for us. Amen.