Snakes on a Plane, Snakes in the Desert, and Snakes at Our Feet

I haven’t watched Snakes on a Plane, but the title gives the plot away. Imagine venomous snakes slithering into the cockpit: the pilot’s instincts tell him to stamp them out or climb away — but what he really needs to do is keep his eyes forward and steer the plane.

That tension between instinct and perspective is exactly what we find in the Old Testament story of Israel in the wilderness. Surrounded by snakes, the people panic. They focus on the danger at their feet instead of remembering God’s provision. So God tells Moses to lift up a bronze serpent: anyone who looked up in trust was healed.

It’s a vivid picture. Fear and sin drag our eyes down. God calls us to lift our gaze — to His provision, His mercy, His life.

Jesus himself makes the connection:

“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14–15).

Just as the Israelites looked up and lived, so we are saved by looking to Jesus lifted up on the cross. Not by fixing things ourselves, but by trusting him.

The challenge is that everything around us tries to make us look down. Fear dominates our headlines. Politicians and pundits fan suspicion of “the other.” But anything that drives us by fear belongs with the snakes.

Looking up changes how we live. It means seeing people as God sees them: precious, beloved, worthy of compassion. It means resisting fear-driven rhetoric and letting the gospel shape our everyday choices.

The ending of Snakes on a Plane (I checked!) involves a vacuum sucking the snakes out of the cabin. Over-the-top, but there’s truth in it: when our hearts are full of Christ, there’s no room for fear or hatred to take hold.

So next time fear pulls your eyes down, remember Psalm 121:

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

Eyes up. That’s where life is found.