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Readings: Numbers 21:4-9, John 8:21-30, Psalm 102
The people of Israel were quite upset. How dare this God liberate them from slavery only to run
them around in the wilderness and feed them bad food. How much worse could things get?
Plenty. Then their camp is invaded by fiery serpents. Out of the frying pan, into the fire, and
from whence does salvation come? From obedience to a command from God through Moses.
It's not a very hard command either. Just a simple look.
In today's Gospel, Jesus is again speaking of his upcoming death and the importance of his
teaching. Everything that Jesus gives us comes from the Father. God is with him and thus, what
Jesus does is pleasing to God. Let us now remember -- what did Jesus do? He fed the hungry,
comforted the afflicted, healed the sick, denounced political, economic, and spiritual oppression,
challenged religious hypocrisy, and brought the Word of God to all people. These works are
pleasing to God. It's not an accident that so many stories are recorded about Jesus visiting and
fellowshiping with noted sinners -- tax collectors, prostitutes, bartenders, etc. If we would
follow Christ, we must do the works that he has done before us. Those who say they follow
Christ, and do not do the works of Christ, are those that the Apostle James speaks about in regard
to "faith without works is dead".
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