Fourth Sunday in Lent

March 15                    NOTES FOR REFLECTION                         Fourth Sunday in Lent

Texts:   Numbers 21:4-9; Ephesians 2:1-10; John 3:14-21*

[*Temptation comes in many forms.  This week it comes in the form of "Mothering Sunday" or "Refreshment Sunday" – anything to escape the rigours of the journey to the Cross.  Like all such temptations it should be vigorously resisted.]

Theme:  Perhaps we should follow up last week's readings with something like "The Foolishness of God Part II"?  For the musically inclined among us "Lift High the Cross" might be better.  For various reasons I'm going for "Aids and Idols".

Introduction.  We start this week with one of the stranger stories in Scripture that must present something of a challenge to even the most ardent biblical literalists, for in the eyes of the world what could be more foolish than thinking that gazing at a bronze snake-on-a-stick could operate as an antidote for the venom of real snakes?  But there's more to this strange little story, and its application in St John's gospel, than a particularly bizarre form of alternative medicine.  This week it seems to be left to St Paul to inject a little commonsense (or, at least, commonly understood theology) into our discussions – leaving aside verse 6, that is.

Background.  It has taken me years to begin to feel more kindly towards this strange little story.  Part of my problem is that I have an excessive dislike/phobia of snakes: for me they are the strongest argument I know against the principle of biodiversity – I would shed not one tear if all snakes became extinct.  But leaving primitive fear aside, my more adult objection to this story is that it defies any form of commonsense.  What on earth is it supposed to mean?  How does it increase our faith?  Would we ever have this story in the Lectionary if the author of the Fourth Gospel had not put (very improbably) an analogy drawn from it in the mouth of Jesus?  I think not.

However, looking back I can see two important steps in my journey to accept if not embrace this story.  The first step was a story published in a scientific journal (I think, or it could have been in Time Magazine) about an attempt to clean up some wetlands that had been seriously damaged by a large-scale chemicals spillage.  After much head-scratching, and a fruitless search for chemicals that would neutralised the ones doing the damage without doing further damage to the wetlands, the scientists charged with finding a solution recommended the intensive planting of willow trees in the wetlands.  The theory was that the willows would suck up the poisons in the water through their roots, eventually killing the trees.  As the trees died they would be pulled up and burnt, thereby destroying the poisonous substances within them.

I remember using this story in a sermon not long after reading it, using it, of course, as an illustration of the way in which Jesus took upon himself all the sins (=poisons) of the world on the cross (the tree) and died.  I like to think that I immediately recognised that this use of the story is illustrative of the way in which the author of the Fourth Gospel used the story of the snake-on-a-stick to "explain" Jesus' saving work on the Cross, but I think it more likely that that particular bit of the truth dawned on me a little later than that – like the next time this story turned up in the Lectionary (3years later?).

The second important step in my progress with this story came when some kindly soul drew my attention to 2 Kings 18:4, where the author says of King Hezekiah (a good king who was a zealous reformer) "He broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses made, for until those days the people of Israel had made sacrifices to it; it was called Nehushtan."  As always with Old Testament texts, names are revealing.  It seems that "Nehushtan" sounds like the Hebrew words for "bronze", "snake", and for "unclean thing".  As for this incident itself, the note in the NIV Study Bible is helpful:

It is unlikely that the bronze snake had been an object of worship all through the centuries of Israel's existence as a nation.  Just when an idolatrous significance was attached to it is not known, but perhaps it occurred during the reign of Hezekiah's father, Ahaz (see ch.16).  Snake worship of various types was common among ancient Near Eastern peoples.

The plot thickens, simultaneously revealing the reason for my choice of theme ("Aids and Idols") and raising all sorts of awkward questions.  Three occur to me now, which are, in increasing order of difficulty, as follows.  The first one can safely be left to Ph.D. aspirants desperately seeking a topic for their thesis: did the author of the Fourth Gospel know of this incident, and, if so, why did he choose to ignore it?

The second is based on the analogy of the snake-on-a stick with Christ on the Cross, or, more accurately, with a crucifix.  Is there any real difference between looking in extremis towards a bronze snake or a wooden crucifix?*  My faith, and my own practice, wants to scream out OF COURSE THERE [EXPLETIVE DELETED] IS! – but I'm not sure I can spell out exactly what it is, or convince a non-believer that there is any difference at all  The people of Israel, of course, were worshipping the bronze snake (making offerings to it), not just gazing at it for inspiration, comfort or as an aid to prayer.  But the line is surely a thin one.  Which side of the line are we when we "venerate the cross" or kiss a crucifix?

And now to bring this ancient story right up to the present time: when news broke this week of the destruction of ancient statues and image by ISIS militants in the Iraqi cities of Hatra and Nimrud did you note that their "defence" for such vandalism was that religious idols are an offence against Islam?  And, if you did, did you immediately recall Hezekiah and his destruction of the bronze snake-on-a-stick?  No, nor did I.

But I did experience a very deep sense of outrage this week when a long-standing member of St Barnabas, Warrington told me that in 1977 the then Bishop of Dunedin had put forward a plan to remove the glorious stained-glass windows from that church and demolish the rest of the building!  (I didn't dare ask what the Episcopal plan for the graveyard was.) 

So this short, strange and ancient little tale gives rise to all sorts of musings if we will only give it the time to challenge us; and here's another example, from much closer to home.  In  M.E. Andrew's brilliant book, The Old Testament in Aotearoa New Zealand, the author, commenting on this text, notes this (at p.147):

This incident also found a response in the earlier contact between missionaries and Maori.  Jim Irwin argues that this contact 'led Te Atua Wera... propounding that the Covenant God of the Old Testament appeared to him in the form of Nakahi (serpent) while appearing to Europeans as Jehovah.

Numbers 21:4-9.  Moses should be the Patron Saint of all reformers.  Anyone who advocates change of any kind knows that most people don't want change, even those who have been consulted and given their agreement in advance.  At the first sign of difficulty the retreat starts, and history is rewritten.  Time after time this is brilliantly illustrated in the various stories of the Israelites' travels and travails through the wilderness.  This is one such episode.  The Edomites refuse transit rights, so the long journey gets even longer.  Tempers fray as hunger and thirst again threaten.  The final straw comes with their rejection of the manna from heaven: "we detest this miserable food".  The God of Love hits back with poisonous snakes, and many people die a horrible death.  That brings the survivors to their senses and they repent.  A truce is established between them and God: notice that God does not withdraw his heavy artillery (the snakes), but he does provide a way of neutralising their venom.  Read literally the story makes no sense: read spiritually it is a perfect story for Lent.

Taking It Personally.

• Have there been times on your faith journey when it has all seemed too hard, and you have wanted to turn back?  Where was God for you at those times?
• What form did the "poisonous snakes" take in your case?  Did you turn on God?  Did you seek help from your Minister or a friend?  Do you find you can talk to someone about difficulties in your faith journey?
• What (if anything) in the Background section of these Notes 'pressed your buttons'?  How did you feel about the analogy between the snake-on-a-stick and a crucifix?  Is that a fair 'development' of the analogy used in the gospel passage?

 

Ephesians.  I am wondering about the relationship between this passage and the Numbers passage we have just been considering.  In the latter it appears that God's intervention – somewhat minimal and therefore perhaps grudging – came only after the people had admitted their guilt and asked for help.  In the case of the Ephesians the emphasis is surely on the complete, undeserved and even un-requested favour of God (grace, in other words).  Perhaps the difference (if there is one) is based on the fact that the Jews were already "converted", and their offence was therefore wilful disobedience, whereas the Ephesians were previously pagan and their offence was one of ignorance only.    Even so, when we compare the two passages, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that they show a very definite difference in the human understanding (or experience) of God.  Instead of a God who punishes and corrects, we now see a God who loves and heals.  Perhaps that is really the heart of St Paul's teaching – whatever verse 6 means.

 

Taking It Personally.

 

• In what ways, and to what extent, is your lifestyle different because of your faith?
• Are you aware of any ongoing changes in your lifestyle as your faith deepens?
• Do you have any idea what verse 6 means – given that it is written by a living person to living people but is expressed in the past tense?  In what sense do you believe that you have already been raised up by God and seated with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus?

 

John 3:14-21.  Verse 16 must surely be one of the best known of all the verses of Scripture; and if you are a Sunday School survivor from way back it is almost certain that you were required to memorise it at some stage.  But do you recall ever having to pay particular attention to verse 17?  No, nor do I; but isn't verse 17 just as much wonderfully good news as verse 16?  And don't they together make exactly the point that (I think) St Paul was trying to make in this week's passage from Ephesians?  Likewise, verse 18 leads us from a concept of God's presiding in Court and punishing our wrongdoing, to one of God offering his life for us but leaving us free to accept or reject his offer.  "Judgment" becomes, not the powerful action of a wrathful God, but the inevitable consequence of our own choices.

 

Taking It Personally.

 

• Try this as an alternative to verse 14: "Just as the willow trees absorbed all the poison of the land and died, so the Son of Man must take into himself all the sin of the world and die."  Then continue with verse 15.  Does that work for you?
• Memorise verse 17 – and repeat it whenever you catch yourself about to make some judgmental comment on someone or something.
• Spend time in prayer as you review the last week.  Are there any matters that you need to bring out of your inner darkness and look at them in the light of Christ.

 

*After I had written this part of the Notes Trish drew my attention to the very profound and helpful comments on this subject by Richard Rohr in chapter 9 of his "Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality".  I may return to this in next week's Notes.