The Bronze Pole & The Crucifix


Numbers 21:4-9 was the first reading from the daily Mass yesterday (4/8/2025). The passage details what happened to the Israelites who grumbled against Moses & the Lord, questioning why they were led to the desert, only to die. God punished them by sending saraph serpents which bit & killed many of them. They went to Moses, imploring him to intercede & ask God to take the serpents away. God, in turn, had Moses make a serpent & attach it to a bronze pole. Anyone bitten was to look upon it & they would live.

The translation used for the Mass reading does not say the people would be “healed”, only that they would “live”. Curious about how the passage had been translated in other Bibles, I went to the Bible Gateway website. I looked up at least 25 Bible translations, most of which used the word “live”. Two used “recovered”, & three said “healed” (Douay Rheims 1899, The Voice, & Wycliffe).

That got me thinking…why would God want the Israelites to live, but not be healed? He does want them healed, but more importantly, he wants them to remember their sins in grumbling against Him & Moses, despite all the good He had done in their lives. True healing will come when they follow & cooperate with Him to fulfill His plans for their lives.

Looking at the Gospel for yesterday, we heard Jesus say, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM…” By giving up His life, "I AM" opens the door to our living forever. Jesus’ Crucifixion, as we know well, was to save us from our sins & open up the gates of Heaven to us. 

Recently, I attended our parish's Stations of the Cross presentation. At the end, our pastor asked us to sit while he gave a brief reflection. He asked us to imagine what it would have been like if we were there on the road to Calvary. Where would we have been standing while Jesus carried the cross? My immediate thought was that I would be there on the cross. As I think back on my response, there was no second guessing where I would be...not hidden among the crowd trying to see around those in front of me or standing with our Blessed Mother, Mary Magdalene, & the Beloved Disciple, John. I knew without a doubt that I would be there on the cross, weighing it down with my multitude of sins, increasing the weight with each step He took.


Each time we gaze upon a crucifix, we should remember that it was our sins that put Jesus there. Just as the Israelites had the serpent to remind them of their sins, we have a reminder each time we gaze upon the crucifix. Willingly, Jesus gave His life so that we might live! Our healing will only come when we submit our will to His.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Gospel Reflection - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Image
Genesis 2:18-24 & Mark 10:2-16 Both the first reading and the Gospel speak to the sanctity of the bonds of marriage and family.  In the first reading, we hear about God creating Eve to be a suitable partner for Adam.  The two become one flesh, man and woman joined together to not only keep one another company, but to procreate and tend to the land.  In the Gospel, once again those Pharisees are trying to trip up Jesus.  His reply is an admonishment to their hardened hearts, reaffirming that marriage is for one man and one woman and that no human can separate what God has joined.   Unfortunately, we have become a throwaway society.  We overbuy food that ends up spoiled and tossed.  Clothing and furniture tears or breaks and rather than repairing them, we throw them out.  We get rid of things in good condition when the newest model is released (game systems, cell phone).  The same applies even to marriages and friendships.  I have...
Read more

Feast of the Epiphany

Image
On this Feast of the Epiphany, my thoughts for this reflection have come from several sources. As I share each thought, I will also share from where I received the inspiration for it. We hear in the Gospel that the Magi were led by a star from the East. When they arrived in Jerusalem, Herod inquired about the star’s appearance. He sent them to search for the child, with a request that they return so that he, too, may pay homage. This star preceded them to Bethlehem, stopping over the place where Baby Jesus lay.  Inspired by our priest’s homily at Mass last evening, I began to ponder myself as a star. Is the light of my star a bright beacon, leading others to Christ through my words & actions? Or have I let my star grow dimmer by the earthly worries & trials of human frailty? I must continue to polish my star, so that its light can remain a strong guide for those I encounter on a daily basis. That polishing process can be done through frequent reception of the sacraments ...
Read more