Tuesday, March 24, 2026

 

Numbers 21: 4-9; Psalm 102: 1-2, 15-22; John 8: 21-30 

Lent is a time for us to reflect on ourselves and our actions, looking toward the Lord for forgiveness for our sins and prayers for our healing. The readings from Numbers 21, Psalm 102, and John 8, all weave in the themes of forgiveness and repentance.

Numbers 21:4-9 tells the story of the Israelites denouncing God in times of hardship, falling victim to impatience. God sends poisionous snake upon them as a punishment for their sins, but does not abandon them to suffering. When they plead with Moses and pray to God for forgiveness for their sins and healing, they are forgiven and sent an image of a snake on a pole for healing. The people of Israel are given another chance. 

God’s willingness to forgive is seen throughout Bible stories, sharing his mercy and patience with us. In this story of the Old Testament, the Israelites are forgiven of their sins as they look toward the bronze serpent made by Moses as directed by God. This image parallel’s the coming sacrifice of the Lord as he fortells in John 8:21-30. Jesus says “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am He”,  foretelling his coming death on the cross. 

We will soon look toward the image of Jesus Christ on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, just as the Israelites looked to the broze serpent for the forgiveness of their sin. An image that we look toward every week at church to remind us of the Lord’s sacrifice for our sins and God’s everlasting forgiveness.

We continue to follow the theme of prayers for forgiveness in the reading from Psalm. We are reminded that our prayers to God do not need to only come during times of strength and knowing, but also during times of strife and confusion. 
We hear a familiar line in 102:2, “Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily on the day when I call”. 

Every Sunday in Lent, we repeat a version of this line at the beginning of our services with “Incline your ear to me; make haste to answer when I call.” When I hear this phrase, it reminds me that I can always call on God in my prayers, whether I am seeking strength, healing, advice, or guidance, he will listen. We cannot always expect the answers to our prayers to come quickly, but we can expect that God is always listening and will always be there when we call out for him.

Together, these readings share with us reminders of the Lord’s forgiveness. We may sometimes turn our backs or cry out in times of weakness or become lost looking for a reason, but God will always to there to listen and forgive even if we make mistake or fail to understand his guidance.

Emily Bright

Look Up Dandelion Worship

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