Word to the Wise
Tuesday, March 23, 2021 - 5th Week of Lent - Tues
[Num 21:4-9 and John 8:21-30]"You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world. That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.....When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me. The one who sent me is with me." [John]
The Gospel According to John reflects the intensive debate that was taking place in his community between Jews that accepted Jesus as the one whom God has sent and those who did not. In this gospel, "sin" is refusal to believe. The characteristic features of contrast - above/below, world/not world - and "I AM" statements appear. The "I AM" statements are always important because they echo the voice in the burning bush that speaks to Moses in the desert. There God reveals the divine name: I AM!
The first scripture today features the story of Moses "lifting up" an image of a bronze serpent in the desert to heal the people from a punishment for their complaining. Jesus tells his adversaries, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM." This is an echo of the visit of Nicodemus to Jesus earlier in the gospel: "And 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." [John 3:14-15]
Jesus is "lifted up" before us every time we see a crucifix. We will liturgically commemorate the actual historical event soon, but it happens whenever we see the Son of Man "lifted up" on the cross. This is not simply a reminder of a past event but is also a present invitation to faith in the One whom God has sent. AMEN