So Must the Son of Man Be Lifted Up
May you continue to be lifted up, built up, and encouraged as you reflect on all that Jesus has done for you, especially His death and resurrection.
A Catholic school retreat theme was “Rebuild, Renew, and Rejoice. focusing on the three “R” words. In talking about Rebuilding, we focused on the fact that the Greek word for “to build up” (oikodomeo) means “to construct a home,” “to encourage,” “to strengthen,” and “to edify.” Jesus came to “build us up” by His being “lifted up” on the cross.
Discussing on “Renew,” we realized that to make things new again demands change – change of mindset, change of our way of doing things. Jesus was willing to renew us by putting on a new nature – that of a human – and giving up His exalted position at His Abba-Father’s right side. He willingly set His mind to do what GOD would have Him do. And we are called to do the same – to humble ourselves and think of others more than we think of ourselves.
This led to the reflecting on “Rejoicing” having “JOY again.” Your JOY involves Jesus, Others, and You. Obviously, it demands that we do a bit of reaching out – re-aching ourselves. It can be painful, but joy-filled. We will then be exalted, encouraged, edified together with the Lord Jesus Who came not to be served but to serve and give His life for the salvation of all – particularly as He was lifted up and exalted on the cross and in His resurrection.
Today’s feast takes precedence over the normal succession of readings (24 Sunday in Ordinary Time). This is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross of Jesus. It is celebrated this day for this is the day that the basilica of the Holy Sepulcher was dedicated in Jerusalem over the site where many believed Jesus died on the cross. At this site, crosses were found, one of which may have been the cross on which Jesus died. Today is also the celebration of the return of the Holy Cross to Jerusalem after it had been taken by the Persians. This feast is sometimes called the Triumph of the Cross, the connotation that is linked to the word “exaltation.” Note it is not the “exultation” but “exaltation.” Exaltation means “an elevation or lifting up, particularly to a place of honor and glory.” The cross was lifted up with Jesus on it and it became the means of Jesus’ being honored and our being lifted up to glory of GOD.
The readings allow us to reflect on the meaning of the cross in the plan of salvation and Jesus’ being raised up and, consequently, our being raised up eventually to be with Jesus in heaven. The First Reading is seen as a pre-figurement of the crucifixion of Jesus. Moses lifts up the likeness of a seraph serpent mounted on a pole. This brings salus (healing, salvation) to those who had been bitten by seraph serpents as punishment for the people’s sins of complaining against GOD and Moses. The psalm reminds us not to forget the works of the LORD GOD. In the Second Reading, in one of the most powerful summaries of the life of Jesus, St. Paul reminds us to what extent Jesus went in order to bring us salus (healing/salvation). The Gospel today alludes back to the serpent on the pole and how it is a sign pointing to the even greater salus that GOD brings to all who look upon the One Who is lifted up on the wood of the cross.
First Reading: Numbers 21:4b-9: ‘If anyone were bitten by
a serpent, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.’
Commentary: This reading from the Book of Numbers prepares for the gospel reading about Jesus bringing salvation by being lifted up. In the early patriarchal stories there are occasional passages which pick up on ancient superstitious rites or pagan religious features. Another example is the mysterious, haunting story of Jacob/Israel at the ford of the River Jabbok in Genesis 32.26-30, which makes use of some ancient story about a semi-divine river-sprite. Both these stories pick up some ancient pre-Hebraic religious rite and bring it under the aegis of the God of Israel. We should not expect the Hebrew religion to spring into existence immediately, utterly clear of all trace of other beliefs and rites – any more than Hebrew morality should be expected to conform from the first with Christian morals. In prayer the same is true, for Psalm 29 (Greek 28) probably takes over and applies what was originally a hymn to Baal, the god of storms and thunder. Similarly Psalm 104 (Greek 103).20-26 praises the Creator of nature in terms similar to those used in an Egyptian hymn to Ahkenaton, the sun-god.
The idea of the brazen serpent lifted up as a sort of charm may be connected with a sacred copper snake″ long found in a temple of the ancient copper-mines of Timnah, in the far south of Israel, not far from the probable route of the Exodus. Some such idolatrous bronze serpent was destroyed in the reforms of Hezekiah (716BC).
Responsorial Psalm 78:1-2. 34-35. 36-37. 38: Never forget
the deeds of the Lord!
The Responsorial is a call to remember GOD’s Goodness. When attention is turned selfishly toward oneself, it is easy to forget about GOD’s loving protection and all the good things GOD has done. Looking back over the past history, one can see how the LORD’s mercy and forgiveness have been more powerful than GOD’s wrath.
Second Reading: Philippians 2:6-11: ‘He humbled himself,
therefore God has highly exalted him.’
Commentary: This is a wonderful hymn of Christ’s self-emptying, and of his exaltation and vindication by the Father, probably an ancient Christian hymn celebrating the triumph of Christ, which Paul adopted and used for himself. It contrasts Christ, the Second Adam, with Adam (that is, humanity) who fell, who wanted to be like God, who tried to escape death, tried to exalt himself and was humbled. Christ did not see his godhead as his prize alone, something to be hugged to himself for his own advantage. On the contrary, he lowered himself to the status of frail and feeble humanity, of precisely that humanity which in Adam had failed.
The last verses are one of the clearest statements in Paul of the divine character of Christ. A verse from Isaiah 45.23 is applied to Christ. In Isaiah the verse describes the homage due to the LORD alone, and no one else. It is a strong statement of the uniqueness of God, drawn from that part of Isaiah written during the Babylonian exile, when Israel was faced with the many gods of Babylon, and against them insisted that there was one God alone, the LORD. In the hymn this homage due to God alone is paid to Christ. Far from being blasphemy, detracting from the glory of God, this is to the glory of God the Father. The concept of divinity is expanded to include Christ.
Gospel: John 3:13-17: ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up.’
Commentary: In this gospel-reading we are listening in to a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, a Pharisee who came to Jesus by night (presumably because he did not want his colleagues to know. Do you mind your colleagues knowing that you are a Christian?). Jesus is talking about an incident during the Exodus journey, when the Israelites were struck by a plague of snakes. Moses hoisted a bronze snake on a pole as a recovery-totem. It sounds superstitious, but presumably to depend on it was an expression of trust in God. Jesus now says that this snake is to be seen as a promise of the salvation to be won by trusting in his Cross. The Cross remains our sign of victory. To wear it and welcome it is increasingly, in this increasingly material world, a statement of where our heart and our confidence lies. However, the Cross is not complete in itself. Some people find it ‘morbid’ or ‘morose’, but to Christians it contains also the victory and reassurance of the Resurrection. The Cross makes sense not by the crumpled figure on the wood, but by God’s acceptance of that obedience. The triumph of the resurrection is too glorious to be represented by anything visible.
Reflection: Do you know the healing transforming power of the cross of Jesus Christ? The Lord Jesus came to unite earth with heaven and to raise those on earth to the glory of heaven. Jesus explains to Nicodemus, one of the chief leaders of the Jewish nation, that he is the "Son of Man" sent by the Father in heaven to restore our broken relationship with God. The "Son of Man" is a key Old Testament title for the Messiah who comes from heaven to establish God's kingdom on the earth (see the prophecy of Daniel 7:13-14).
Moses delivers his people from death in the wilderness: What does Jesus mean when he says the "Son of Man must be lifted up?" Jesus links this expression with Moses who "lifted up" the bronze serpent in the wilderness in order to bring about healing and restoration of life to those who were bitten by deadly serpents. This plague of death was the result of the peoples' stubborn refusal to follow God's counsel and direction for their welfare. God in his mercy heard the prayer of Moses to free his people from this curse. God instructed Moses to "make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and every one who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live" (Numbers 21:8). Moses lifted high the image of a bronze serpent fixed to the wood of the pole, which resembled a cross. Those who put their faith in God by repenting of their disobedience were healed and restored to wholeness of life.
Jesus links his victory on the cross with Moses' act of deliverance: Jesus clearly links Moses' act of deliverance in the wilderness with his own impending sacrificial death when he will be "lifted up" on the wood of the cross at Calvary. Unlike Moses' deliverance in the wilderness which only resulted in temporary relief for the people, Jesus' atoning death on the cross brought decisive victory over sin, Satan, and death. Jesus' victory on the cross cancels the debt of our sin, and releases us from guilt and condemnation. His death and victory brings us new life - the new abundant life in his Holy Spirit which lasts forever.
Jesus' victory on the cross also brought about his glorious bodily resurrection to new unending life and his ascension to the right hand of the Father in heaven, where he now rules and intercedes for us. The result of Jesus "being lifted up on the cross," and his rising and ascending to the Father's right hand in heaven, is our "new birth in the Spirit" and adoption as sons and daughters of God. God not only has redeemed us from sin in Christ, he also fills us with his own divine life through the gift of his Spirit that we might share in his own glory.
The proof of God's love for us: There is no greater proof of God's love for us then the sending of his Son to become one with us in our humanity and to lay down his life for us. "To ransom a slave God gave his Son" (an ancient prayer from the Easter vigil liturgy). God sent his Son to free us from the worst of tyrannies - slavery to sin and the curse of death. Jesus' sacrificial death was an act of total love through self-giving. Jesus gave himself completely out of love for his Father. And he willing laid down his life out of selfless love for our sake and for our salvation. His death on the cross was both a total offering to God and the perfect sacrifice of atonement for our sin and the sin of the world.
John tells us that God's love cannot be limited because it is boundless and encompasses all of creation (John 3:16). His love is not limited to a single nation or a few chosen friends. His love is limitless because it embraces the whole world and every individual created in "his image and likeness". God is a persistent loving Father who cannot rest until all of his wandering children have returned home to him. Saint Augustine says, God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us to love.
The love of God is rooted in truth, goodness, and mercy: God gives us the freedom to choose whom and what we will love and not love. We can love the darkness of sin and unbelief or we can love the light of God's truth, goodness, and mercy. If our love is guided by truth, goodness, and that which is truly beautiful, then we will choose for God and love him above all else. What we love shows what we prefer. Do you love God who is the supreme good above all else? And do you seek to put him first in all your thoughts, cares, choices, and actions?
God's love sets us free to love and serve others: God's love has been poured into our hearts through the gift of the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). Do you allow God's love to purify your heart and the way your treat others? Do you allow God's love to transform your mind and the way you think of others? Do you allow God's love to conquer every unruly passion and addiction that would enslave you to sin and harmful behavior? The Holy Spirit gives us his seven-fold gifts of wisdom and understanding, right judgment and courage, knowledge and reverence for God and his ways, and a holy fear in God's presence (see Isaiah 11) that we may live God's way of life and serve in the power and strength of his enduring love and mercy. Do you thirst for new life in the Spirit?
Lord Jesus Christ, your death brought life for us. Fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may walk in freedom and joy as a child of God and as an heir with Christ of an eternal inheritance.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Story of Moses and the bronze serpent, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"This story is a type of the whole mystery of the incarnation. For the serpent signifies bitter and deadly sin, which was devouring the whole race on the earth... biting the Soul of man and infusing it with the venom of wickedness. And there is no way that we could have escaped being conquered by it, except by the relief that comes only from heaven. The Word of God then was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, 'that he might condemn sin in the flesh' (Romans 8:3), as it is written. In this way, he becomes the Giver of unending salvation to those who comprehend the divine doctrines and gaze on him with steadfast faith. But the serpent, being fixed upon a lofty base, signifies that Christ was clearly manifested by his passion on the cross, so that none could fail to see him." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 2.1)
cross-fire: “Just
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted
up, that all who believe may have eternal life in Him.” —John 3:14-15
“When I behold the wondrous cross on which the King of glory
died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride.”
These words from a traditional hymn are my prayer for you today.
May you see in a new way the cross and the One Who hung and
died on it for love of you. May the cross be a prophecy which penetrates,
divides, and judges the thoughts and reflections of your heart (Heb 4:12).
Through the cross, may you be crucified to the world and the world to you (Gal
6:14). May this celebration of the Exaltation of the Cross be the occasion for
breakthroughs in the hearts of millions throughout the world and breakdowns of
the strongholds of the evil one (see 2 Cor 10:4). Today, may Jesus, Who has
been lifted up on the cross, draw all people to Himself (Jn 12:32).
“Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim, till all
the world adore His sacred name.”
Prayer: Father, may my life be accurately described as
the triumph of the cross. “At Jesus’ name every knee must bend in the heavens,
on the earth, and under the earth, and every tongue proclaim to the glory of
God the Father: JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!” —Phil 2:10-11. “We adore You, O Christ,
and we praise You, because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
The personal action for
today: What images come to my
mind when I think of the cross of Jesus? How can I lift up the cross of the
Lord Jesus as a sign of my belief in the salvation that He brought through His
death and resurrection? In what way can I carry my cross as a sign of my wanting
to be united with my exalted Lord Jesus?
Exaltation of the Holy Cross: Early in the fourth century, Saint Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, went to Jerusalem in search of the holy places of Christ’s life. She razed the second-century Temple of Aphrodite, which tradition held was built over the Savior’s tomb, and her son built the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher on that spot. During the excavation, workers found three crosses. Legend has it that the one on which Jesus died was identified when its touch healed a dying woman.
The cross immediately became an object of veneration. At a Good Friday celebration in Jerusalem toward the end of the fourth century, according to an eyewitness, the wood was taken out of its silver container and placed on a table together with the inscription Pilate ordered placed above Jesus’ head: Then “all the people pass through one by one; all of them bow down, touching the cross and the inscription, first with their foreheads, then with their eyes; and, after kissing the cross, they move on.”
To this day, the Eastern Churches, Catholic and Orthodox alike, celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on the September anniversary of the basilica’s dedication. The feast entered the Western calendar in the seventh century after Emperor Heraclius recovered the cross from the Persians, who had carried it off in 614, 15 years earlier. According to the story, the emperor intended to carry the cross back into Jerusalem himself, but was unable to move forward until he took off his imperial garb and became a barefoot pilgrim.
The cross is today the universal image of Christian belief.
Countless generations of artists have turned it into a thing of beauty to be
carried in procession or worn as jewelry. To the eyes of the first Christians,
it had no beauty. It stood outside too many city walls, decorated only with
decaying corpses, as a threat to anyone who defied Rome’s authority—including
Christians who refused sacrifice to Roman gods. Although believers spoke of the
cross as the instrument of salvation, it seldom appeared in Christian art
unless disguised as an anchor or the Chi-Rho until after Constantine’s edict of
toleration.
