(Second of two parts)
2025 is the lunar year of the snake. Furthermore, 2025 is also the Jubilee Year of Hope.
In the previous article, we explored the cultural and spiritual significance of snakes, noting their dual nature as symbols of wisdom and transformation as well as deceit and danger. We considered how snakes evoke both fear and reverence, reflecting humanity’s intricate relationship with creation.
Continuing with the story of Moses, another mention of snakes or serpents is while the Israelites are wandering in the desert. The desert is a terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions (Dt 8:15). In other words, the wilderness is the natural habitat for poisonous creatures, including snakes.
Moses makes a bronze serpent set upon a standard for the Israelites bitten by fiery (or poisonous—nehas seraphim) snakes to be healed if they were to look at it (Num 21:8-9). Incidentally, besides the meaning of venomous, seraphim also means burning, which refers to the heavenly beings in front of God’s throne (Is 6:1-6).
The bronze serpent can be read as a wordplay, nehas nehoset, between “serpent” (nehas) and “bronze” (nehoset). When the Israelites grumble against God, God delivers judgment, but then God also delivers mercy. Because God is holy, God must deal with sin. Because God is love, God chooses to offer mercy. Ironically, in this case, the offer of mercy uses the very fact of sin.
From a cultural and historical point of view, one could argue that the use of the bronze serpent is based on the ancient logic of sympathetic power: use a snake to kill a snake, utilise a thief to catch a thief. By the way, there’s another intriguing story in 1 Samuel 6:4-5 where the outbreak of rats is countered by making a golden rat, so also tumours are healed by making golden replicas of tumours.
The fiery serpents represent death and suffering. The bronze serpent is thus a reminder of such death and suffering. By asking the Israelites to gaze at this negative symbol of death and suffering with eyes of positive faith and hope in God, they are being nurtured to view the negative reality of death and suffering with a positive faith in God to herald in a life of wholeness.
In like manner, in John 3, Jesus uses this symbol in Numbers 21 in a positive way. He says, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” (Jn 3:14) Here Jesus refers to himself as the Mosaic serpent on the standard. On the one hand, the image of the suffering Jesus on the cross evokes pain and death. But by looking to Jesus nailed to the cross with eyes of faith and hope in God, we are taught to see in that horrible symbol of suffering the hopeful assurance that, by the free grace of God, even suffering and death can bring about fullness of life and new life.
By using the very symbols of suffering and death (serpent and cross) as symbols for us to look at with the eyes of faith and hope, God saves us from the venom and sting of sin, suffering, and death. The serpent and the cross are means to achieve salvation in God.
Incidentally, Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, smashes in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (2 Kg 18:4). Over time, the means has become the end in itself, that is the object of worship rather than God. Therefore, let us not be too obsessed with the snake and its meaning; this writing is merely to enlighten us on the snake as a means to an end.
In the temptation of Jesus by the devil on throwing himself from the top of the temple (Mt 4:1-11), the devil quotes from Psalm 91:11,12: “He will command his angels concerning you,” and “On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone,” but the devil does not continue with verse 13: “You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.” Traditionally, this has been interpreted as Christ defeating and triumphing over Satan. This also recalls the protoevangelium, the first Good News proclamation (in Genesis 3:15), that of the seed of the woman crushing with his heel the serpent. Here the serpent represents the devil, and Jesus triumphs over it.
Another negative connotation on snakes used by Jesus is when he labels the scribes and Pharisees as snakes and vipers (Mt 12:34, 23:33). John the Baptist also calls the Pharisees and Sadducees vipers (Mt 3:7).
Jesus sends the twelve apostles to be wise as serpents and yet innocent as doves (Mt 10:16). In this case, Jesus is using the image of the snake in a good way. The world into which we and the apostles are sent is where we are confronted with pressure to perform and conform. We are tempted to give up the gospel values. To cope with this, we need to be shrewd like snakes and yet innocent as doves.
In the great commission to the Eleven after his resurrection, Jesus says that one of the signs that would accompany those who believe is they would pick up serpents with their hands (Mk 16:18). Here serpents represent danger, but his disciples would be able to handle it with courage. A good example is when Paul is on the island of Malta; a viper bites him, but he is unharmed (Acts 28:1-6).
After the return of the seventy-two, Jesus tells them that he has given them authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt them (Lk 10:19).
Generally, we see the usage of snakes, serpents, vipers, asps as bad, sometimes even referring to the devil. Yet, there are times when these reptiles are depicted to represent something positive. All in all, flowing from the First Principle and Foundation of St Ignatius of Loyola, created creatures are to be used to achieve the purpose of God. In ways they are helpful, use them; if not, don’t use them.
Fr Francis Lim, SJ is the Regional Superior of the Jesuits of Malaysia-Singapore Region since 15 December 2022