THE CADUCEUS AND THE CROSS

The Caduceus and the Cross

The symbol of two intertwined snakes, called the caduceus, is used by the

American Medical Association

Have you ever had to get mixed up with these people who work under the symbol of two snakes twined on a staff? Referring to the medical profession of course.

Often they hurt you in order to help you!

From a very young child I have always been fascinated by snakes. I even at one time belonged to the Cleveland Herpetologist Society. Imagine, that means we would actually go looking for them. I know many people who are so deathly afraid of snakes that just the very thought of them virtually makes them apoplectic. You may think the only good snake is a dead snake. And perhaps, because we’re talking about them, you have already quit reading this paper? I hope not. I have many snake stories, and I’d be pleased to hear your snake stories

We find a strange and hard to-understand snake story figuring prominently in Numbers 21:4-9.

The Lord has Moses construct a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. Everyone who is bitten by a snake is to look at the serpent, for in doing so they will be miraculously healed. Scarred, but healed. In other words, Moses made a replica of the very evil the people feared.

And in this weeks study of John 3:14-21, even stranger, we find Jesus alluding to this story in his conversation with Nicodemus to the point that he virtually refers to himself as a snake.

He talks about it during his conversation with Nicodemus, the religious leader who comes to see him at night. Nicodemus would have known this story of Moses and the snakes, and probably is quite shocked that Jesus would use it as an analogy for himself.

The Gospel of John therefore refers to Jesus, not only as the good shepherd, but also as the good snake.

Jesus says it is the nature of salvation... that in the hands of God, “evil and good, threat and promise, life and death are all somehow mixed up.”

God is always eager to offer redemption, in the Old and New Testament but redemption is to be on God’s terms and not ours. The Lord did not grant their prayer (O.T. people) in the way they wanted, did he? Neither did God do things in his Son as we would have done them. If you had been in charge of making it so that your sinful creation could have the means of salvation, would you have chosen to send your child, allowing him to be hung up on a cross?

God doesn’t think the way you and I do. So to confess that we don’t understand is simply a way of admitting that we are not God, and that such things are best left up to One who knows a whole lot more about redemption than we do. The only thing with which we are left is to accept the grace God provides us, leaving the why of it all to the One who knows better than we how redemption takes place.

It is God’s will that none of us perish, but “have eternal life.” How God chooses to do that is God’s business. Let’s accept it with gratitude, even if we have to look the snake in the eye.

Lord, save us, sinful as we are. Forgive us and teach us to accept the mystery of redemption offered through your Son Jesus..... .And I pray Shalom for all who read this........Amen.