Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
(Numbers 21:4-9; John 8:21-30)
The Pharisees in today’s gospel ask Jesus, “’Who are
you?’” Christian faith rests upon this
question. If Jesus is only the son of
Joseph and Mary, a powerful preacher and healer, and the organizer of a small
community of disciples, then there is scant reason to conform our lives to his.
He would be like many other celebrated humans of history. Conversely, if Jesus really is what he hints
at being in this passage --the great “I AM” of biblical tradition, the Lord of
heaven and earth -- then we would be foolish not to give him full allegiance.
The two principal readings indicate why we should adhere to
Jesus. In the first, the Israelites are
roaming in the desert. They should
remind us of many people today in search of health and happiness. As the Israelites find their salvation in
looking at the saraph serpent mounted on a pole, we find peace in this reckless
world around us by praying to Christ on the cross. More importantly, in the gospel Jesus says
that he is going where the Pharisees cannot come. He is referring to his home with the Father. Later in the gospel (John 14:2), he tells his
disciples that he will prepare a place for them there. The Father’s home is beatitude, eternal
happiness and our destiny.
Within the next two weeks we will be celebrating Jesus’
death on the cross and Resurrection from the dead. Like the well-worn paths of Christian holy
places, these liturgies will mark us as Jesus’ faithful followers. They will shuttle us closer to our eternal
home.
