Healing From Bitterness: Christ and the Good Snakes

Healing Snakes: Christ and Healing from Bitterness

By The Rev. Rian Adams

The title says it all! Through the Christ and his love there is healing from bitterness. Today’s lesson is a prime example of how that can happen.

When the image of a snake comes to mind it usually carries a negative connotation. I had many lessons as a child about the dangers of snakes. But Jesus, like so many things in the Gospel of John, flips the reader’s preconceived notions to the other side of the coin. Snakes can also be a symbol of healing. As a matter of fact, Jesus likens himself to a snake! 

The lectionary reading for this Sunday contains one of the most famous passages, John 3:16. However, in this post I want to focus your attention elsewhere. As you read, listen to how Jesus likens himself to a snake.

The Lectionary Gospel, John 3:1-17. The First Sunday After Pentecost.

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.  I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?  No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

A fight of consciousness

The story of Moses and the snake is in Numbers 21:4-9. It’s a familiar story if you grew up around church. To summarize it, the people of Israel were wandering in a desert after their escape from Egyptian slavery. Israel is in the desert with no food, no water, and no hope. So, they do what people do… they turn on their leader. They blame Moses for getting them in the situation. I suppose when things get rough it’s always easy to blame the pastor. 

It’s ironic that when people are on the precipice of growth, the unconscious will often rebel and demand they revert back to old ways of thinking. Jung said in Psychology and Alchemy, that “People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own souls.”

Case in point, Numbers says that the Israelites lusted after their slavery in Egypt. Oh the irony… some would rather be slaves and eat than have their freedom and go hungry.

Often growth means we will become uncomfortable. Perhaps to grow also means that we will come face to face with our greatest anxieties. 

Healed by a snake

The deity of Israel becomes angry because of the attitudes of his people. Therefore he sends poisonous snakes among them to bite them. The story says some even die of the snake venom. They repent and then ask Moses to talk to God for them.

I think Israel failed to appreciate the spiritual journey and that opened the door to bitter poison in their veins. .  

Moses forges a serpent out of bronze and places it on a pole. A miracle occurs and all who gaze upon the snake receive healing from the poison.

In other words, once you are willing to look at the true cause of bitterness in your veins, then healing can occur.

When we are willing to observe our pain, then we are able to find healing from bitterness. It’s often terrifying to accept one’s self. However, Israel had to observe the instrument of their own poison before God healed them.

The snake and myth

In the minds of many Christians the snake is a dubious creature because of the role it plays in the Garden of Eden. It’s often associated with evil. However, in the Eden story the snake even talks. I think this highlights the snake’s wisdom, but also it shows us the snake’s shadow side of patient deception.

Other cultures do not view the snake in such a negative light. For instance, the ancient Sumerians held a different view. the snake sheds its old skin only to emerge in a new one. In this way, the Epic of Gilgamesh presents the serpent as the one possessing the gift of immortality — always shedding its smaller self to grow into a new definition.

In Greek mythology the snake is found in the god Asklepius who often takes the form of a snake. Various cultures present the serpent as a symbol of growth, immortality, and healing. The snake can teach us wisdom. We shouldn’t over emphasize the snake as a one dimensional picture of evil.

Jesus even admonishes his listeners to be “as wise as serpents.” (Matthew 10:16).

Jesus and healing from bitterness

Enter Jesus! He speaks with a Pharisee named Nicodemus about spirituality. Their exchange has sarcasm… Jesus says, “How are you a teacher in Israel and do not understand the Spirit blows wherever it would like?”

To paraphrase, “Nicodemus, your sect has created a box for God, and through that box you have limited God to doctrines and behaviors. That won’t work because God will show up in other ways, in other cultures, by other means. If you’re not careful, you’ll miss it.”

Jesus goes on to say that following the Spirit would mean observing the healing power of the Christ crucified.

Like the snake, the Christ brings healing when we observe his sacrifice. The symbolism is clear, when we recognize that our propensity for persecution is based in our resistance of wisdom,

then we are able to find healing for the soul. 

I think Jesus likens himself to a snake to teach an important lesson. That lesson is that when we observe the way of love and mercy through sacrifice of the self (ego), we can receive healing from the poison of bitterness, anger, and hatred.

God loves us. God desires to heal us of the areas of anger and bitterness. The challenge is often our willingness to observe the truth of it first. My poem Destiny touches on the subject. If you can find it here.

Follow the way of the one who heals the soul and gives it life… there you find healing from bitterness.

Peace,

Rian+