Jesus Cures

Today’s Gospel Text: No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. John 3:13-17

Reflection: Similia similibus curantar – is a Latin term, which in English means, “like cures like”. It is the doctrine which lies at the heart of homoeopathy, which was discovered by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann.

If you think that he was the first to discover this principle then you are wrong. In the scriptures we have a situation, referred by Jesus in this gospel text, of people being bitten in the desert by poisonous snakes and God tells Moses to prepare a bronze serpent. (Num. 21: 9) Anybody bitten by the poisonous desert serpent had only to look at the fiery bronze serpent and were saved.

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' Matt 5:38 – is the same principle that Jesus reminds his disciples how not to put into practice.

Hence, you have Moses lifting up the serpent in the desert to bring about a cure to the venom of the serpent bitten people in the desert. Likewise, you have the Son man being lifted up like the serpent. 

But the huge difference is this: Jesus will be healing every individual who will be looking to him for healing from the poison of sin, that brings about eventual death.He does it by taking upon himself all that evil that was due to us.

This was the very reason why the Son of man was lifted up on the cross at Calvary, that looking to him with the gaze of faith and hope we may be healed, set free from every venom of sinful bondages and thus enter the glorious presence of our eternal God.

St. Paul talking about this victory of the cross, puts it thus: “…in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, having canceled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands; this he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in him. Col 2:12-15

Prayer: Jesus, hung on the cross for my sins, free me from every curse of sin and death and lead me into everlasting life.  

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Wishing you a "Happy Feast" on this the feast day of the "Triumph of the Cross"