In the first installment of the Indiana Jones movies, Jones is lowered into a pit and finds it is full of writhing snakes. Upon seeing the snakes he utters this wonderful movie line: "Snakes, why did it have to be snakes." That is sort of what I feel like in reading our scripture texts for today, "snakes, why did it have to be snakes"…Not because I'm afraid of snakes, in fact we have a beautiful "pet" corn snake at home; but because the texts are a bit difficult when taken together, particularly the reading from Numbers.
It is a strange story…God's people are still wandering in the wilderness being fed with manna. Conditions are lousy and they are tired of it all; and as they are prone to do start complaining: They think Moses is a lousy leader, and who is this God who has brought them out of Egypt only to send them on this forced wilderness march. The Israelites have gotten to this point before…of complaining and wishing they were back with the taskmasters of Egypt. God has sent them water, and manna, and quails to keep them, but nothing is enough. This time as a result of their complaining the text says: "Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people," which the Israelites interpret as their punishment for complaining. Then comes the "magic." God tells Moses to put the image of the snake up on the pole and after being bitten if the people look at it they will be healed. Later developments in the Bible can't let this story stand as is, given its implications of magic and idolatry so they layer some interpretation on it. In 2 Kings as Hezekiah is instituting his reforms he orders the bronze snake torn down, for people have been making offerings to it in hopes it would save them. Much later the Wisdom of Solomon poses an interpretation of this story: "To remind them of your oracles they were bitten, and then were quickly delivered, so that they would not fall into deep forgetfulness and become unresponsive to your kindness. For neither herb nor poultice cured them, but it was your word, O Lord, that heals all people." The Wisdom of Solomon makes it clear that it is God who saves, not the image of the serpent.
All of that brings us to the Gospel text from the third chapter of John where again we find a reference to the strange snake story where the gospel writer uses the image of the snake to refer to Jesus being lifted up on the cross. The implication is that Jesus lifted up on the cross will save those who believe, just as the people were saved when Moses lifted up the snake. This time however it is a much more profound salvation, and God's love is given as the motivation.
At the risk of disturbing this much beloved verse in John 3:16 I want to pose some questions for us this morning. We may look back and scoff at the primitive mindset of the ancient people with their magical talismans that could heal and ward off evil. And Moses uses that outlook in hanging a snake from a pole, reducing God to that level. We are beyond that we say from the lofty vantage of years. Yet, sometimes, don't we do the very same thing with this Bible verse? John 3:16…how often do we see it hung from the stands at sports events. It is lifted up in much the same way as the serpent on the pole, as if by hanging the banner we will somehow ward off evil, and be protected by a magical charm. It is reduced to a banner, without any thought to how profound this text really is. Worse we use it as the key verse that decided who is in and who is out. When we rest our Christianity on this text alone we reduce God to staying on a stadium banner, limiting how we think God can be present in the world.
Both texts talk about salvation. The word comes from a Hebrew word meaning spacious. And so salvation-God's spaciousness, God's love for all. John's Gospel reminds us of that in saying that God didn't come into the world to condemn, but to save. God's love can not be reduced to a banner mentality that says only those who gaze upon it will find God. The question we wrestle with in this is do we want a simple God that we use as a kind of good luck charm; or do we want a God who welcomes us in to God's spacious love, a love that is all inclusive.
Given the realities of life, my vote is to take God off the banner and into the world. It is said that Gracie Allen once received a small, live alligator as a gift from a fan. She didn't know what to do with the alligator so she put it in her bathtub and left for an appointment. When she returned home she found this note from her maid: "Dear Miss Allen. Sorry. But I had to quit. I don't work in houses where there is an alligator. I'd a told you this when I was hired, but I never thought it would come up." Life constantly throws us those kind of curves. The levels of technology we face today were not even dreams a few years back. An internet commercial claims that more uses have been found for the internet since its inception than were ever found for the telephone in its first thirty years of existence. On much more serious levels we confront things we never dreamed of confronting; life situations so complex we can't begin to fathom our way through. Reducing God to a magic talisman will not help us navigate our way through the alligators of our life.
God on a banner will also not begin to touch the threat of meaningless. Not too long ago there was a poll ran by the makes of Lifesaver Candy to see what kind of flavor should replace pineapple lifesavers. Over one-million people voted to keep pineapple. One million people cared enough about pineapple flavored candy, but how many people can't be bothered to vote. How many people do you think vote each week for their favorite American Idol contestants-each week over 30 million people vote. Again, that many people when it is hard to get enough people to care much about anything. Why? It is because we have made God too small, and have forgotten God's spacious love that literally saves the world.
"For God so loved the world that he sent his only Son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." Remember that verse to find its grace and assurance; keep it close to your heart. But remember also it sends us into the world to confront the alligators and the meaninglessness. And know this as you go…that perhaps the most astounding thing we thought would never come up is this: the love of God. Something we didn't ask for, something we didn't expect…God's love embodied in the life and death and resurrection of Jesus. Something the world would never expect-God's spacious, saving love.