Crime and Punishment

In the readings for today, there are two dominant themes. The first is that evil will be punished. The second is that God is the source of everything that we need. In a more general way, the first reading deals with temporal matters and the gospel speaks to us of eternal matters.

In the first reading, which is from the book of Numbers, we hear that the Israelites, having come out of the land of Egypt, are now complaining about God and Moses, so they are punished. The punishment is temporal: they are attacked by snakes. Our themes are bound together in this story, as the snake bites are the punishment for evil, but after Moses prays to God, a cure is given for the snake bites.

In the Gospel, we have one of the clearest warnings of the eternal punishment for those who live in sin, and a promise of the eternal reward for those who follow Jesus. We also have an account of the relationship between Father and Son in the Trinity. Jesus tells us that He and the Father are one. “The one who sent me is with me.”

In Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees, He makes it clear that He is the source of our eternal reward. All those that know Him will be with Him in Heaven. All those that refuse Him will be separated from Him. This concept is difficult for many to accept because it forces them to submit to the will of God. We must choose to follow God and give Him glory in everything we do.