The Son of Man be Lifted Up"
Today's Mass Readings
Today’s Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross focuses on one central aspect of Jesus’ life, namely His death on the cross. The idea of the “exaltation of the holy cross” is entirely apropos considering the Gospel of John’s theme of Jesus’ own exaltation, which occurs precisely when He is literally lifted up on the cross. In the Gospel of John, more than any other Gospel, Jesus is seen reigning as King, while He is dying on the cross. In today’s reading from the Gospel, Jesus makes an explicit reference to today’s first reading from the Book of Numbers. Jesus says that, “just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (keep in mind that the context for this passage in John concerns baptism, rebirth by both water and Spirit, so baptism and faith are here linked together, inseparable as they must be). Now, our first reading for today should strike us at first as an odd one, when we recall from the Book of Exodus in the Ten Commandments, where God explained that you shall not make a graven image of anything living in the heavens, on the earth, or under the earth. Certainly snakes are living things on the earth. Why does God now instruct Moses to make a serpent out of bronze, and have the people look up at it? The commandment from Exodus is often thrown in the face of Catholics and of Eastern Orthodox who so often use art to portray the saints, and even God, and show reverence to such artwork. Clearly God is not intending to prohibit the actual images of animals, angels, saints, other humans, etc., in the Ten Commandments. God even commands Moses to have angels (cherubim) carved out of gold and placed on top of the Ark of the Covenant. Rather, the commandment about graven images is meant to prevent God’s people from worshipping false gods, and thereby committing idolatry. These false gods were often carved from stone or wood or precious metals. In today’s passage from the Book of Numbers, God sends down serpents to attack the people, not because God is mean, but to help them recognize they are in need of healing, and that healing is called repentance.
The deadly serpents help the Israelites recognize what they truly need at that moment, what they need even more than food and water, repentance, a turning back to the Lord. And so, the people turn back to the Lord, and looking upon the symbol of the snake held up on the pole, they are physically saved. The physical salvation which occurs from looking at the serpent, matches the spiritual condition they are in from their repentance. Notice the people came to Moses and said to him, “We have sinned in complaining against the Lord and you.” Jesus, in today’s Gospel reading, sees this image of the snake as pointing toward His own crucifixion, His own exaltation on the cross. This is called a typological interpretation of Scripture, where a type or image of Jesus is found prefigured in the Old Testament. In this instance, it is Jesus making the interpretation. Just as the Israelites looked upon the bronze serpent and were saved, so we are now saved through Jesus’ exaltation on the cross.
Jesus’ once and for all sacrifice is perpetually present before the throne of God the Father in heaven, as Revelation chapter 5 shows us (especially Rev. 5:6). That once for all exaltation of Jesus on the cross in the past, is perpetually made present for us at every celebration of the Eucharist. At every celebration of the Eucharist, Jesus’ exaltation and the exaltation of the holy cross is present. Let us live out this celebration in our lives. May our lives reflect that we have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, and by His exaltation on the cross. And let us go and forgive others as we have been forgiven. Let us live lives where we lift up others from their difficulties. Let us bring Christ exalted and risen to the world.