The Triumph of the Cross (Feast, September 14)

There is a glorious divine irony in today’s feast, an irony playing out in the readings we have just heard. And what is this irony? A cruel instrument of suffering and death like the cross has been transformed into a grace-filled instrument of healing, life and resurrection. The Jews themselves despised the cross: in fact in their Law Book (precisely in Deut. 21:23), it is written “Cursed is anyone who dies, hanging on the tree”.

In the first reading (Num. 21:4b-9), it is reported that the Israelites complained and accused God for abandoning them during their journey towards the Promised Land. And that wasn’t the first time they complained: when they lacked water, they complained; when they lacked food, they complained; even when they became tired of eating the manna that was sent to them, they complained that they needed meat; when they faced what appeared to be an enemy, they complained; and so on. We may laugh at the fact that these people were constantly complaining despite the fact that God saved and delivered them from more dangerous situations. But let us not be too quick to condemn them: if we were in their shoes, we would do the same or even do more than just complaining. Remember that these people were still on a 40-day journey on foot: think about the frustrations and the rest. For a long time, they were just being fed with manna and ordinary quail: just think of eating a particular food for a long time, how would you feel? These were a people who were travelling with no sophisticated army, no sophisticated weaponry. And suddenly, very fierce enemies appear on the way, how would they defend themselves? And we expect them not to complain? So, it was just “human” for them to complain!

But then, instead of doing something “positive” to address their complaints, God sent fiery serpents to bite them to death. The fiery serpents must have reminded them of something about the first rebellion of mankind through the instrumentality of the serpent. In pains and death, the Israelites cried out and God instructed Moses to mould a serpent and place it on a cross: two ironies – the serpent which brought the pains, death and sin into the world and the cross which they despised as the object of divine curse. Now, God instructed them through Moses that anyone who gazes (not just ordinary look) on the bronze serpent will be saved. Now, by gazing on the object of their pains and suffering, God was just trying to help them understand that beyond their pains and suffering lies their healing. Look beyond the bronze serpent, and feel the healing power of God beyond what causes you pains and suffering.

Nicodemus, a Jew, actually went to Jesus to understand how one can gain eternal life (cf. John 3:13-17). And Jesus tells him something that must have shocked him: that just as Moses lifted up the serpent, so must be the Son of man be lifted up so that whoever that believes in Him may have eternal life. In that statement, Jesus was trying to let him understand that that instrument of death and disgrace will become the instrument of healing, life and grace for those who believe. 

Yes, when we gaze at and reflect on the crucifix, we see that it was human violence, hatred, selfishness and fallen nature that put Jesus there. But then, the cross was not forced on Jesus; He accepted it. Thus, instead of always seeing my wickedness and selfishness behind the cross, I should rather see the love and selflessness of God who chose to die for my sake. And there is no other way to experience God’s healing, mercy and love than thinking about all these. It was not just our sin that made Jesus to carry the cross; it was his love. It was not just our selfishness, it was his selflessness. It wasn’t just our enmity, it was his friendship. We thought we were casting him out of our lives, when really he was giving himself in the fullest way possible. Jesus could have stopped his death at any point, but he didn’t. He let us lift him up in death so that he could raise us up to eternal life. Let us all exalt the cross in our hearts and lives.