Cross and Caduceus

Numbers 21:4-9, John 3:14-21

Fourth Sunday in Lent ~ March 26^th, 2006

Is there a Doctor in the house? Today’s Old Testament text has a symbol in it that some say is the original symbol used in medical practices today. The Caduceus is a symbol that has a staff, sometimes two wings, and one or two snakes around the staff. There is also precedence for this symbol coming from Greek and Roman mythology so the true roots isn’t something I want to explore today, but we can see from the similarities in our text and the Caduceus used today that healing is the main idea.

Our text from Numbers 21 begins like many other Old Testament texts talking about the Israelites – they are grumbling and complaining. The people of Israel are wandering in the wilderness, a barren place to be sure, but a place that God makes Himself known to them. God leads them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. He cares for their daily need, especially through food – manna and quail. And yet the people of Israel are grumbling and complaining – especially about the food.

How quickly their memories fade and deceive the Israelites. They want to go back to Egypt – a place in which they were slaves and cried out to God to free them. They complain about having no food in spite of the fact that God is providing food in a miraculous way. Nothing seems to be good enough for the Israelites. But before we point fingers, lets think about our own lives. Do we ever grumble and complain about our lives? Do we ever think we are getting the short end of the stick? Do we ever think we have it rough and deserve much better? Have we ever taken for granted all the blessings God has given to us? I think we all have. We are al guilty of grumbling and complaining to God that our lot in life isn’t good enough.

Then an unusual thing happens in our story – fiery serpents appear on the scene and bite the people. Many Israelites even die from the snakebites. Their situation has turned grave and they realize that that have done wrong in the site of God. Wouldn’t it be interesting if we could record our grumbling and complaining and play it back for us to hear? I think we would be ashamed of the things we have said and we may even repent of the wrong we have done through our words and actions. That is what the snakes are doing – a wake-up call to the people that they are rejecting God and His providence.

The people repent and ask Moses to pray to God for deliverance from the snakes. Moses does intercede for the people and God gives him specific instructions – take a pole and fashion on it a bronze snake, like the ones that are biting the people and causing even death. Then God instructs Moses to tell the people that when they are bit they are to look to the bronze snake and they will live. This is interesting and a couple of fronts.

First – I think God had Moses make a snake as the “cure” because in looking at the snake it would remind people of how they got into this mess – by grumbling and complaining to God and Moses. It is a constant reminder that they messed up and broke God’s commands and His trust. The snake is also a reminder of the first sin when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit because the listened to the serpent. Our worship service has a part that function like the snake – it is the confession. We confess that we are sinful, we have broken our covenant with God and with others. We are reminded that our sin is like a snake and it has taken over our lives and leads to death. So we need to be reminded of our sin and our need for salvation.

But the bronze snake on the pole was not just a cruel reminder of their sin, it is also they way of healing. Look to the pole with the snake and you will live! It is the means by which God will show His grace and mercy to the people, by a snake being lifted up on a pole. There is more to this story then just this one time of healing. Lets jump ahead to John chapter 3, our gospel lesson for today.

This is a familiar passage to us, “For God so loved the world…” But lets look at the context and see the connection to our Old Testament story. Jesus says that just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness so will the Son of Man be lifted up. Jesus is making a comparison of Himself to the bronze snake. We need to pay attention to this and not pas it over as we see John 3:16. Here Jesus is saying that He will become that snake on the pole, a man on a cross. Jesus loved us so much that He took on our sin and the wrath of God that comes with it and dies on a cross in our place. But He also rises again to bring us new life.

The cross is like the “caduceus” in the Old Testament. When we look to it we see a dying man. We see the ugliness of sin in this world. Jesus represents on the cross the sins of the whole world and by so doing He reminds us of our sin. In one way we can say our sin nailed Jesus to the cross. But that is not correct – He does take our sin to the cross, but He is there because of His love for us. Not only do we see our sinful, broken selves, but when we look to the cross we also see healing in Jesus love for us. The cross is a reminder of our sin and our need for salvation but also by looking to the cross we can be healed.

At the St. Louis seminary there is a new chapel that was built. In this beautiful chapel hangs a cross over the altar. You can miss it if you aren’t looking for it because it is a simple rod-iron cross that gets lost in the stained glass window behind it. But there is also another part of this simple cross that has sparked some debate. On the cross is another rod-iron bar that has been twisted in an almost “S” shaped pattern. It is controversial for a couple of reasons, one is Lutherans don’t tend to have a crucified Christ on their crosses because we look to the empty tomb for our symbol of Christ. Second, some people don’t like that this cross is so unusual and may look too much like “modern art.” But I think the artist captured a truth in this cross that is profound. The “S” shaped pattern looks like a snake! Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness so shall the Son of Man be lifted up.

We look to the cross this Lenten season, as we have every Lenten season, and see our Savior suffering and dying for us. The cross reminds us of our sin. But it is also the place we look for our salvation as well. The cross is our caduceus; it is our way of healing and restoration. Look to the cross and see your sin, but also look to the cross and see “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, ESV)

Amen