Tuesday 24th of March
“If anyone was bitten by a serpent, he looked up at the bronze serpent and lived.”
Numbers 21:4-9
The Israelites in the desert often complained and rebelled against God amid their struggles. In response, God gave them a mysterious remedy, lifting up the bronze serpent, through which they could be healed if they looked upon it with faith. This act was not only a moment of healing for them, but also a sign that would later find its full meaning in Jesus. Jesus Himself reveals this connection when He says that just as the serpent was lifted up in the desert, so must He be lifted up on the cross. What was once a mysterious sign becomes fully understood in Christ: true healing from sin comes through looking in faith upon Him crucified.
In our world today, still marked by sin and suffering, we are called to do the same to turn our gaze to Jesus lifted up on the cross. By trusting in Him and persevering through our own sufferings, we participate in His healing and learn to carry our crosses in a way that does not add more suffering to the world, but instead brings hope and redemption.