You Brood of Vipers…

So I am sitting at my “other office” which I haven’t visited in a while. Coffee on the Rocks is a great place for this Padre to escape the busy office for some Scripture reflection and sermon preparation time. It has been fun to watch the seasons change at my “other office” since we moved here at the end of August. Of course, it has also been a joy to watch the seasons change at the church!

So Padre, what does that picture at the top of your  blog have to do with the Gospel reading for this Sunday? Especially in light of the blog title! Well, those folks who have known me for a while know that I don’t enjoy snakes. I even jump when a picture of a snake pops up on my Facebook feed. Instead of thinking of broods of vipers, when we showed up at the Coffee Shop, we were greeted by a brood of ducks! The water hasn’t completely frozen over on the pond and the ducks have heard that there is a deal on small bags of corn inside the shop. So if you look cute and adorable, someone is going to feed you! Isn’t that a much nicer image than broods of vipers?!

Okay, back to the Gospel lesson for Sunday and John the Baptist’s words. ” John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?'” (Luke 3:7) Wow! Did you really just say that, John? Really? In all of the church growth literature that I have read or heard about, this technique is not one that I have heard before.

Obviously the crowd was surprised as well by his response to all those who had come out to be baptized. After enduring the hell-fire and brimstone talk of repentance, axes, roots, and fire; the crowd, asked him in a voice that had to have been muted and stunned… “What then should we do?” (Luke 3:10)

The key to understanding his comments in context is found in the following verses. “Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Luke 3:8-9)

John is speaking to a Jewish audience. He is speaking to those who were proud to call themselves Children of Abraham. They used this claim to set themselves apart from the other “heathen non-believers” in their midst. Even if they couldn’t personally keep all of the rules and regulations the religious elite had set up through the centuries, they had the sacrificial system to fall back on.

The preaching of John the Baptist evidently cast doubt on the whole system of sacrifices and “special privileges” as God’s “chosen” people. If any arrogantly believed that their tie to salvation through Abraham was it, they were wrong.

Do you have two coats? Share one coat with the person who has none. Food? Same thing… share it with those who have none. Tax Collectors? Don’t forget that they would NOT be allowed near the Temple. Stop cheating people! Soldiers? Stop your extortion racket!

John’s words were powerful and straight to the point. He didn’t beat around the bush. Yet, even the sharp tone of his preaching gave the people hope. The people were filled with expectation according to Luke (verse 15). This guy is shooting straight. He is also speaking up for the underdog. You know, the people who were being cheated by the tax collectors, soldiers, and the religious establishment. You see, even in the harshness of his words, John had a heart of compassion for the underdog. He knew what the system was doing to the poor, to the widows and orphans. He was calling the system out in a mighty way.

I wonder what John the Baptist would say today if someone put a microphone in front of his face. What would he, let alone Jesus himself, say regarding what comes out of the mouths of people who say they are christian (lower case is intentional). What would he say to the fear-mongering, bigoted, hate-filled commentary being spewed by potential nominees for a presidential election?!

Whenever I point a finger at someone, I am pointing three back at myself. Try it and you will see what I mean. Yes, I am pointing my finger at people like Donald Trump! What comes out of his mouth truly horrifies me. What horrifies me even more is that people are actually giving his remarks credence and are supporting him. Really?

Yet in the midst of all this, I need to check my own attitude. After all, I do have three fingers pointing back at me! While I am busy calling out broods of vipers, am I listening to what John the Baptist was telling the people to do? Am I putting my money (figuratively and literally) where my mouth is? My call as a Christ-follower is to be a servant-leader. In any way that I can, to speak for the oppressed and reach out in a real and tangible way to those who are in need. Am I doing that, Lord?

Once more, the Advent readings aren’t exactly full of sunshine and happy thoughts. Yet there is light and hope in the Isaiah 12:2-6 reading which will be the subject of another blog. I guess we do need the reminder in the midst of the commercialized insanity which has become all the days from Thanksgiving to Christmas (even since Halloween truthfully). We need the reminder that it is not about excess at all. It is not about getting all of the goods… about greed and consumerism… about widening the gap between the rich and the poor…

Even though your words are harsh, John the Baptist, I thank you for your message and the reminder. Especially during a political season in the U.S. where I see very little hope and a whole lot of hate, I need to hear your message. Help me to prepare the way of the Lord. Help me to make straight in the literal and metaphorical desert a highway for God. A highway that reaches out to those whom society has rejected. A highway that breaks down borders and barriers instead of building walls.

Help me, Lord, in this season especially, to find my happiness in you. Help me to stop taking your grace for granted. Help me to share that grace with others. Help me to be an instrument of your peace.