“Staying away from the ‘poison of sin’ by always looking to be guided by the ‘Wisdom of God’ reflected in the Cross of Christ!”

(Based on Num 21:4-9 and Jn 8:21-30 – Tuesday of the 5th Week in Lent)

Two people were once traveling by car.

The navigation system kept saying, “Turn back… recalculating…”

But the one driving…
… rejecting the suggestion from the GPS, as well as the word from his companion
… insisted, “No, this is the way. I know this road, very well.”

So they kept going.
Slowly, the road became narrower… rougher… and then it simply stopped.

They had to reverse all the way back, losing the very time they thought they were saving.

And in that quiet moment, there was a simple realization: Sometimes, it’s not that the direction is unclear…
… it’s that we are too certain of our own way to change it!

We hold on not just to a path…
… but to our own way of thinking, without any openness!

This is what is seen in the Gospel today.
Jesus speaks clearly, reveals the truth, shows the way…
… yet the people remain fixed in their own understanding, unable to move beyond it.

Jesus continues His revelation to the people, of He, being the ambassador of God, His Father.

He tells the people that “I am going away and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin” (Jn 8: 21)

The Lord refers to “dying in one’s sin”

This aspect of “dying in one’s sin” could consist of various ways:

1) A person dangers oneself to “dying in one’s sin” when one is too self-righteous – an attitude of “I know everything – even more than God!”

When Jesus told that He is going away, the Jews said, “He is not going to kill Himself, is He, because He said, “Where I am going, you cannot come?” (Jn 8:22)

The Jews failed to understand the words of the Lord, because they were filled with pride of their knowledge, and considered themselves to know everything.

They were filled with a certain obstinacy in being open to the words of the Lord…
… and failed to see that there could be also other possibilities of looking at the words of Jesus.

2) A person risks the danger of “dying in one’s sin” with respect to one’s faith, when one fails to set one’s eyes heavenward, and instead gets fixated with earthly things.

Jesus said to the Jews, ”You belong to what is below. I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world” (Jn 8: 23)

The Jews had their thoughts and deeds centred only on the things of this world and failed to transcend their minds heavenward.

They were filled with a certain worldliness that made their concerns to be limited.
They were unable to understand the heavenly realities that the Lord presented before them, and even shut their eyes to make an attempt to understand them

3) A person exposes oneself to the perils of “dying in one’s sin” when one is wilfully ignorant of the Truth.
Though Jesus had spoken much, performed much, the Jews still ask Him,” Who are you?” Jesus then said to them, “What I told you from the beginning” (Jn 8: 25)

The Jews had great many opportunities to discover faith in the Lord, as He had exposed them to many great wonders, taught several teachings and performed many deeds to show His divinity.

Though, they were learned in their scripture and laws, they failed to recognise the Source of the Scripture and the Giver of the Law.

Their minds were adamantly closed to the Reality.
Their hearts were purposely shut to the Truth.

The Lord moaned that these Jews were risking the danger of “dying in one’s sins”.

This warning is addressed to us also….

Am I exposing myself to the risk of “losing my life, in sin?”
Am I endangering myself to the peril of “forfeiting my soul, in sin?”

Let us be wary of these menaces…
… to be adamantly self-righteous and being proud with our own knowledge
… and thus failing to trust in the mighty wisdom and power of the Lord.

Just as the people, bitten by the poisonous serpents, would live by looking at the bronze serpent (Cf. Num 21:4-9)…
… let us, stay away from the “poison of sin” by always looking to be guided by the “Wisdom of God” reflected in the Cross of Christ!

God Bless! Live Jesus!