First Reading - Numbers 21:4-9
Gospel - John 8:21-30
The first reading, taken from the book of Numbers, reminds us of the sins of murmuring and distrust among the people of Israel. The people became impatient in the face of hardship and scarcity in the wilderness, and they complained against God and Moses. In response, God sent fiery serpents among them—a kind of medicinal punishment intended to help the people recognize their sins and reconcile with God. Seeing their repentance, God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and mount it on a standard. Those who had been bitten were healed when they looked at it.
(Why a serpent? Because the serpent was considered a symbol of healing and divine power in Egyptian culture. Pharaoh’s crown bore a serpent icon, representing his supposed divinity. The Israelites, having just left Egypt, were still familiar with such symbols and not yet fully attuned to Yahweh, their God. This background gives further meaning to God's instruction.)
In his teaching and healing ministry, Jesus sought to convince his listeners that he was the promised Messiah. However, only a few recognized him as such. The pride and prejudice of the scribes and Pharisees blinded them to the divinity of Jesus. He warned them that he was returning to the place he had come from, and they would not be able to follow. They misunderstood this as a reference to suicide, but Jesus clarified his mission using the image of the bronze serpent.
Just as the Israelites in the desert were healed by looking at the bronze serpent, Jesus explained that he too would be lifted up—on the cross—for the salvation of all. His crucifixion, death, and resurrection would defeat sin and death and grant eternal life to all who believe in him. Jesus affirmed his divine identity when he said, “I am He.”
Dear friends, our world continues to face crises that challenge human dignity. In the midst of such uncertainty, the Cross of Christ shines as our beacon of hope. We are called to stand firm in faith, trusting in the saving power of Jesus.
Christ came to remind us that we are not abandoned—we are loved and cared for by God. Our hope lies in him. What does the Cross of Christ ask of us? Faith. Jesus says in the Gospel: "Anyone who believes in him will not be lost." By believing in him and in the power of his Cross, we are not defeated by our trials—we overcome them and find life in him. Let us never lose hope, for Christ has given us reassurance through his Cross. Faith is the shield that keeps our hope alive.
We must learn to gaze at the Cross, for it strips us of pride, arrogance, hatred, insensitivity, and despair, and it heals us, making us humble, forgiving, loving, compassionate, and hopeful—like Jesus. The bronze serpent healed the people bitten by serpents, and Christ on the Cross continues to heal us from the bites of sin. Let us gaze at the Cross in prayer, seeking healing from our sinful tendencies.
May our hope always be sustained by faith in the Cross of Christ.
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