- Reflection by Fr. Bob Williams, C.S.B.-

Jesus said to Nicodemus: "Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him, Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

"And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather that light because their deed were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light: so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God." -(John 3:14-21)

"Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wildness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up…" This is hardly an auspicious way to begin a reading that is supposed to move people to enthusiastic service of the Lord. But this simply proves that the Bible is an adult book and needs an adult interpretation. This is particularly true regarding the above selection from the gospel according to John. To better understand John let us spend a few moments re-examining some aspects of Greek mythology.

According to Greek mythology, Hermes, messenger of the gods, carried a caduceus of peace. Among the ancient Greeks and Romans, it became the badge worn by heralds and ambassadors signifying their inviolability. Originally the caduceus was a rod or olive branch decorated with garlands or ribbons. As time passed, the garlands were interpreted as two snakes, intertwined in opposite directions with their heads facing. A pair of wings, representing the swiftness of Hermes, was attached to the staff above the snakes. The similarity of the caduceus to the staff of Aesclepius the healer ( a single serpent entwined on a staff branched at the top) resulted in the adoption of the caduceus as a symbol of the physician and as the emblem of the medical profession.

Serpent-signs of healing such as these have played a main role in mythological and religious traditions throughout the world and were known to our ancient Israelite ancestors as well. John alludes to the " lifting up" in the time of Moses in the desert, how he brought a saving power to those who were being subjected to death by seraph serpent bites as punishment for their transgressions of the Law. Moses set up a bronze image of a snake for all to look at. By this sign or symbol he intended that all should take a good look at what was happening and recognized in it God's just condemnation of sin. By their faith in this God who had the power of life or death over them they could be saved.

The book of Wisdom in the Old Testament has a good commentary on the meaning of this bronze serpent, erected by Moses: " They had a symbol of salvation to remind them of the precept of your Law. For he who turned toward it was saved, not by what he saw, but by you, the Saviour of all… As a reminder of your injunctions they were stung, and swiftly were they saved" ( Wisdom 16:6-7,11). Following suit, the Johannine author incorporated this event into the above passage and offered the raised serpent-sign as a type or prefigurement of the lifted up and crucified Christ.

The term " lifted up" exhibits the Johannine desire for words with double meaning. In addition to referring to the hoisting of the crucified Jesus onto the gibbet, it also described Jesus' resurrection from death and his exaltation in glory at God's right hand. With all these inferences in mind the evangelist assures believers that those who would look with faith upon the cross of Christ would be healed of sin and delivered from death to enjoy eternal life.

People will look upon the crucified Jesus and be able to see his suffering and death as condemnation of sin, of the sin of humans in the world. They will also look upon the resurrected and glorified Jesus and see in this glorification God's gift of the Spirit which wipes away sin and gives eternal life. What is required for this re-birth in the Spirit is faith --"that all who believe may have eternal life in him" This great act is evidence of God's great love for everyone, for all the world. "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son"- sent him into the world in order that he could be "lifted up" in this manner and, thus, lift up together with him all who would believe in him. God does this so that each individual might not die but rather have eternal life.

God's sending of his Son, then, while in a certain sense an act of judgment, was not an act of condemnation but of salvation. Condemnation springs only from refusal to believe, and that is one's own fault, one's own responsibility. It is like the person who prefers to walk in darkness rather that in light, because in the light he will be known for what he is, a sinner. But walking in the darkness will not save him. It can only condemn him. He must walk in the light, acknowledge his sin before the Lord, and, above all, acknowledge that God's loving mercy, manifested in the Son, will take away his sin. Then it will be clear that "his deeds are done, in God"

Lucking in the background of many questions directed to Christians is a fundamental challenge for all Christians to express their faith in actions. By comparison with many who disclaim any faith, the Christian is judged harshly as a person who has failed to do anything particularly exceptional. When it gets down to the crunch of things, the Christian has little to show for his faith in Jesus. Is it now sufficient to say that the Christian's actions are " done in God"? At the Eucharist, Jesus will be lifted up and we will remember the Church because we will proclaim that we are "through Jesus, with Jesus and in Jesus offering all honour and glory to the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit". This is the very essence of what it means to be a Christian witness. All is to be done in Christ Jesus.

In comparison to Jesus we will always fall short of the acts done by Jesus for us. Here is the failure which Jesus transforms and heals and accepts. Our humanity and our failure makes public witness that we are approachable, yet we rely on the community to support our acts in accepting our weak efforts to love. The sign of a loving community is the only valid sign that will make our faith become a genuine reality. A reality worthy of imitation.

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