Mid Lent- “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the
wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who
believes may have eternal life in him.” (St. John 3:14,15)
Scripture Reading: Numbers 21
Brief outline of the chapter: Israelites achieve a victory over the Canaanites after making a vow to God. However, the Israelites soon grumble against God and Moses, leading to a punishment of fiery serpents. In response to their repentance, God instructs Moses to make a bronze serpent; those who look at it are healed. The Israelites continue their journey, celebrating a miracle of water provision and singing “The Song of the Well.” They also request passage through the lands of the Amorites, which is denied, resulting in battles where they conquer the territories of King Sihon and King Og with divine intervention. [In this posting, the focus is on the bronze serpent aligning with the theme of Mid-Lent].
Lessons from St. Gregory of Nyssa (‘Life of Moses’):
St. Gregory
while reflecting on the conduct of the journeying Israelites states that the
people hadn’t learned anything from Moses’s spiritual greatness. They remained
susceptible to base desires and were attracted to the indulgences that
characterized their time in Egypt. This historical account illustrates that
human nature is particularly prone to such inclinations, being drawn to them
through various avenues.
The people's
unruly desires manifested serpents that injected deadly venom upon biting. Just
as a physician prevents the progression of a disease through treatment, Moses
intervenes to prevent the disease from causing death and rendered the real
serpents powerless through an image of a serpent.
St. Gregory
explains that the cure for these evil passions “is the purification of our
souls which takes place through the mystery of godliness. The chief act of
faith in the "mystery" is to look to Him who suffered the passion for
us. The cross is the passion, so that whoever looks to it, as the text relates,
is not harmed by the poison of desire.” The
Lord teaches clearly that the serpent lifted up in the desert is a symbol of
the mystery of the Cross when He says, “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (St. John 3:14)
St. Gregory
further teaches that looking at the Cross means rendering one's whole life
crucified to the world, detaching oneself from worldly influences and remaining
unmoved by evil. St. Paul teaches- “May
I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which
the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.” (Galatians
6:14). Such a life is controlled by self-discipline and the fear of God as the
Psalmist says- “My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments.” (Psalm 119:120)
St. Gregory
explains that if Satan, the father of sin, is depicted as a serpent in
Scripture and as serpents can only bring forth serpents then sin can also be
illustrated as a serpent, and those who sin take on its nature. Hence, humanity
which turned into the form of a serpent was liberated by Him who became like us-serpentlike.
He prevents
the bites from being fatal, though the serpents remain. St. Paul writes- “For
God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his
own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and to deal with sin, he condemned sin
in the flesh.” (Romans 8:3). Through His Incarnation, Death and life-giving
Resurrection, Christ broke the bondage of sin and defeated death.
While the
consequences of death that follow sins do not affect those who look to the Cross,
St. Gregory cautions that 'fleshly' desires remain active even among faithful
believers and engages in combat against the spirit. “For freedom Christ has
set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of
slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)
An individual
who turns to the One lifted up on the wood rejects the passions and desires of
the flesh, thus mitigating its ‘poison’ through faith in Christ and leading a
life that is “dead and crucified to the world”.
Questions for Personal Reflection:
Am I ready to live
a life that is 'crucified to the world'? If, during this Lenten journey and
beyond, our focus and inner being is merely satisfied by attending conventions and
listening to/giving impassioned speeches and sermons, then it is at odds with the
command of our Lord- “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (St. Matthew 16:24). If salvation was only
about sermons and preaching, then the profound and transformative Cross
wouldn’t have been in the picture.
In Christ,
Rincy
Ref: Gregory of Nyssa, Saint. The Life of Moses. Translated by A.J. Malherbe and E. Ferguson, HarperCollins, 2006, pp. 115-117. HarperCollins Spiritual Classics series. (Original translation published by Paulist Press, 1978).
Disclaimer: The content presented here is a
paraphrased summary based on my reading and understanding of the book cited
above and is intended solely for educational and devotional purposes during
Lent. They are not intended to replace the original work or represent the views
of the author or publisher. Readers are encouraged to refer to the original
book for a comprehensive understanding.
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