Numbers 21:4-9, Psalm 101, John 8:21-30
Looking up; getting the proper perspective
We find the Israelites continuing their trek through the desert in search of the Promised Land. They have encountered numerous obstacles along the way from starvation and thirst to the anger of Kings whose homeland’s they must cross. Each time they have encountered a difficulty God has given them patience, courage and sustenance enough that will allow them to keep going. But they are weary and frustrated and they long to find a place that they can call home.
Have you ever noticed that when you are tired it is the little things that really irritate you? “I am sick and tired of this food”, they say. “When are we going get some real food to eat?” The food they are referring to that is no longer tasteful is the manna which God sent for their daily rations. When the manna first fell the people celebrated, it was a sign of God’s presence and that Yahweh was looking out for them. But now it just tasted bland and without texture. What had once been seen as a sign from God was now just a reminder of how far from home they really were.
This is an example of how our perspective or how we view the world really has a strong influence on how we believe and act. Two people can see the world in very different ways but not all perspectives are equal in value. Have you ever come home from grocery shopping and stocking up the fridge only to find your teenager sorting through all the fresh produce and complaining, “There is nothing to eat!”? We can see things differently but some of those ways contain more truth about reality and how we see them is a choice that we can make.
In the Gospel today Jesus is continuing to share his identity with people. He is engaged in trying to raise their awareness of the promise of eternal life that the Father is offering. He is talking not about earthly reality but about the ultimate reality of our creator. Unfortunately the people listening are not all on the same wavelength. Some think he is nothing more then a crackpot spouting doomsday sayings. They are not able to elevate their imaginations beyond the mundane things of this word. They think that he is planning on killing himself and they really want nothing at all to do with him. But for those few who listen more carefully and who take the time to discover the truth in Jesus’ message, their lives will be transformed. The truth of the matter is revealed by looking with the proper perspective.
For Moses that perspective was looking up. When the snakes came and fear set in it would have seemed to make more sense to look down and watch where you were stepping but that would have led the people to walking in fear, trusting only in their own efforts. The bronze serpent raise high on a pole reminded people that their real security lay in looking up, keeping their eyes fixed heavenward and trusting that Yahweh would not abandon the covenant but would bring them safely home.
Jesus also told those who could not comprehend to keep their eye on the cross on which he would be raised. Not a suicide, but a sacrifice for the world. The cross has become a benchmark of truth by which we can test our own perspective against what is true and eternal.
Can you see the presence of God in your life even when things are difficult?
Take an account of your personal perspective; do you have your priorties in order?
