Numbers 21:4-9 / John 8:21-30
When something or someone has hurt you once, you tend to avoid that thing or person. And we will use the proverb "Once bitten, twice shy".
Obviously, when we know of a prior bad or unpleasant experience of a similar situation, we will be more cautious than just shy from it.
Yes, in life we will make mistakes, but to repeat the same mistake is plain stupidity.
In the 1st reading, the people lost patience and they complained against God and Moses.
Losing patience and complaining may seem common enough to us, but there can be drastic consequences.
The people were punished with fiery serpents and their bite brought death to many people.
That was quite a severe punishment for losing patience and complaining. But the deeper issue was about faith.
Prior to that, the people had been unfaithful and turned to idolatry and had to wander in the desert for 40 years because they had not trusted in God.
May we learn this lesson and let us not make the same mistake as they did in the past.
To make the same mistake is more than just stupidity; we are asking to be bitten over and over again.
But let us ask God to strengthen our faith so that we can give thanks to God and be faithful to Him.