Lent
March 6, 2018
Scripture Reading: 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.
Having grown up on a farm, I learned to respect snakes from an early age. Rattlesnakes were the most common poisonous snakes in my area, but we also had water moccasins, copperheads, and cottonmouths. I also learned that all snakes were not poisonous and that snakes were an important part of our ecosystem. My guess is the Israelites were well acquainted with Egyptian snakes but had to learn about the snakes of the Arabian Desert as they escaped from slavery. Dealing with the unfamiliar is challenging. I am not sure what to make of Moses’ solution to the problem. I do know that when our world changes we often must find new solutions to old issues.
Jesus asks the following question to his listeners:
Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:9-11)
I thought about what Jesus said when I heard the youth, who survived the Parkland, Florida School shooting, speak so eloquently about the need to find a new solution to gun violence. Perhaps the verse popped into my mind because the lectionary reading dealt with snakes. Though I never think such thoughts are mere coincidences. God is calling all of us to search deeply into our souls and do what is right, not politically correct, not what will get someone more financial support for the next election, and not because we think our personal rights are paramount to the detriment of others. I do not have the answer, and it is a complex issue, but before we take on the task of figuring it out we must get our hearts and minds aligned with God and then carve out a right and just solution.
Prayer: Lord, create in us clean hearts and minds to see issues from your viewpoint and to reshape our society to follow your ways ruled first and foremost by love. Amen.