Looking and Living Year B Fourth Sunday in Lent 1 1 http://www.blueletterbible.org/images/bible_images/moses/moses_serpent1.jpghttp://www.blueletterbible.org/images/bible_images/moses/moses_serpent1.jpg
SCRIPTURES 2 Numbers 21:4-9 21:4 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. 21:5 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." 21:6 Then the LORD sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. 21:7 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. 21:8 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." 21:9 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. Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 107:1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. 107:2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, those he redeemed from trouble 107:3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. 107:17 Some were sick through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities endured affliction; 107:18 they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. 107:19 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress; 107:20 he sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from destruction. 107:21 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. 107:22 And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices, and tell of his deeds with songs of joy. 2 http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=74
Ephesians 2:1-10 2:1 You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2:2 in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. 2:3 All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 2:5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- 2:6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 2:7 so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God-- 2:9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 2:10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. John 3:14-21 3:14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 3:15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 3:16 "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. 3:17 "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. 3:18 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. 3:19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 3:20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 3:21 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."
When I was younger we had a book at the house that had all sorts of biblical art in it. I was fascinated by this book and can recall several of the images in my mind. I for some reason can recall one for today s Hebrew Scripture reading about the Brazen Serpent. If my memory is true it will be the image that is displayed in our online posting of this sermon. I would not be what anyone would call a scripture literalist by any means, but I do believe in various literal aspects of scripture; I do believe that Jesus is the Son of God and was born incarnate of Mary, died on a cross and was literally resurrected. I believe that we all have the same claim at some point to be resurrected. To what end, I do not have as much knowledge, but of these and many other things I do believe. This leads me to some issues though when reading scripture. I find I pay a great deal of attention to verbs in scripture sentences. So in Numbers I see; impatient, spoke against, sent (as in verse 5 The LORD sent poisonous serpents among them... ), sinned, prayed, look, and live. I get impatient and the others, but sent as in God sent the serpents caused a bit of a pause. I honestly do not know what to do with things such as these. God sends poisonous snakes to actually kill people? What is up with that? I honestly have no clue, as it goes against my ability to resolve a loving God. I get the same shivers when Jesus curses the fig tree. I can get some resolution through the Epistle reading: Ephesians 2:3-10 2:3 All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 2:5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- 2:6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 2:7 so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God-- 2:9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 2:10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
Scripture to me I guess may in fact be more about the questions than the answers. While I can certainly welcome the idea of taking scripture and placing it in the context of the times and customs of those who lived and wrote them, this in the end does little good for us today if we cannot extend what they say to what we see about us. Our lives are surly akin to a wandering in the wilderness. I have had no personal experience with gathering manna each day to feed my physical body as Israel had been doing and was one of the chief complaints from our Numbers passage. But I do pray the Office, this is in effect manna right, there on the ground/bookshelf for me to pick up every day and feed my soul? I can grab a Book of Common Prayer, a copy of a book I have that has all the Office readings in it, there is even an app for my iphone. Basically I have no excuse to NOT pray the Office, and yet there are days when I just do not pray. I cannot ever recall saying, why have you brought me into this church and into the Dominican Order where I am required to pray these daily? I detest this pedantic repetition (the Office is on a two-year cycle with Psalms completely prayed every 7 weeks). But if I do not pray it, is that not in effect what I am doing? I took a covenant to pray at least Morning and Evening Prayer, EVERY day. I love Compline so I add that as well, but again some days it just does not happen. So where are the poisonous snakes? Well, I have noticed that when I regularly pray; I am calmer, more content; some things just flow easier in and out of my mind, I can focus, and there is just this general sense of something I cannot describe that I do notice. Even on days when I speed through the prayers a bit too fast, although I do not get the same benefits as when I am more deliberate, there is still something there. As for a brazen serpent to look upon I think the cross around my neck works, the scriptures I carry in my bag, the churches I pass on the way to and from my office, even the people I see on the streets of New York City. Now I am not trying to be cute or overly philosophical here. I think our lives are a constant search for meanings and symbols to help us. As we get deeper and deeper into Lent and approach Holy Week I think these meanings and symbols are very much available to us, especially Holy Week. The Stations of the Cross is offensive to some, and thus will not have a part in it. Just like a rosary (Anglican or Roman, or Orthodox), or even a crucifix/cross. Incense anyone? If these symbols do not speak to you, then please, find something that does. Find something that draws you back, something to look up at and live. Maybe an index card with a scripture, picture, or short quote that you can pull from a pocket or purse, just to look at and think about. How about something on your wall, in your office, car, something/anything?
The author of John I think reinforces this idea of something to look at and carry with us: John 3:14-16 3:14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 3:15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 3:16 "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.
An image from the Sistine Chapel 3. 3 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/michelangelo_buonarroti_024.jpg/603px-michelangelo_buonarroti_024.jpg