You Brood Of Vipers

There was this one I’ll never forget for he was different. A radical 
Who stood up against the system, who was outspoken, who 
thought it was his mission to tell it like it is whether you wanted 
to hear it or not. An outspoken dirty looking, individual who 
dressed, well different, and who felt called.

If you saw him and heard him you would never forget him. Your 
life would be forever changed.

Matthew 3: 1-6

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the 
wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of 
heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken by 
the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one 
crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, 
make his paths straight.” Now John wore a garment 
of camel’s hair, and a leather girdle around his waist; 
and his food was locust and wild honey. Then went 
out to him Jerusalem and all the region about the 
Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river 
Jordan confessing their sins. 

John the Baptist, son of Elizabeth who is Jesus mothers sister. Do 
you remember? Luke 1: 36 …and the angel Gabriel said to Mary,
And behold, your kinswomen Elizabeth in her old age has also 
conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was 
called barren.

We know that Jesus and John were cousins, but why were so 
many interested in John? They were interested in John the Baptist 
because he was not only a prophet but John blasted Herod and the 
religious leaders of the times which fascinated the people. 
Furthermore John called all sinners to repent of their sins as John 
the Baptist’s messages were strong and true.

Visualize that your hands are dirty and there before you is running 
water. If you place your dirty hands in the running water what 
happens? Your hands become clean and your are washed of the 
dirt that the world can see, this is what John the Baptist did that 
got others attention. John the Baptist used symbolism; I baptize 
you with water that others could see, for baptism in water is 
symbolic of ones repentance and forgiveness. In turn the 
Pharisees and the Sadducees who disliked each other greatly 
and together opposed Jesus, were disliked by John the Baptist 
for being legalistic, hypocritical, and using religion to advance 
their political position.

John the Baptist called and held people accountable for more 
than words or ritual to change their behaviors and quit sinning.

Matthew 3: 7-10

But when John the Baptist saw many of the Pharisees 
and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, 
“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from 
the wrath yet to come? Bear fruit that befits repentance, 
and do not presume to say to yourself, ‘We have 
Abraham as our father:’ for I tell you, God is able from 
these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even 
now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree 
therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and 
thrown into the fire. 

In the words of 2005

But when John the Baptist saw many of the low lives and liars for 
their gain coming for baptism, he said to them, “You low life of 
snakes! Who ratted and told you to get out before you answer for 
your slithering ways? If your for real then show it and quit trying 
to hide behind names and titles for names and titles are a dime a 
dozen. Who you want the world to think you are doesn’t matter 
for with God anything is possible. If you can’t repent, you low 
life and be honest. then be prepared for judgment day when those 
who are not producing what they tell the world they are will burn 
in hell.
In the church today there are some who put on a good face but are 
Never happy with anything or the way things are accomplished. if 
they are not directly involved. To the world they put on a front of 
being a good Christian.

John the Baptist called people to more than words or ritual; he
demanded that they change their behavior as well. “Prove by the 
way that you have really turned from your sins” means that God 
looks beyond our words and religious activities to see if our 
actions match our mouth.

Do your actions match your mouth? Are you over critical, 
judgmental, at odds with others? Out for your own or political or 
monetary gain? Are you like a slithering snake, slithering low to 
the ground with the hopes that nobody will see your real 
intentions? God knows: 

Genesis 3: 14

The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have 
done this, cursed are you above all the animals; upon 
your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat the rest 
of your life.”

Sometimes in life God sends the most unlikely characters to send 
His message through as a means of reaching out to God’s children. 
You know what I mean John the Baptist?

Matthew 3: 11-12

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is 
coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am 
not worthy to carry; he will baptize you with the Holy 
Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand 
and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat 
into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with 
unquenchable fire.”

Reality is that everyone one day according to God’s Holy word. 
will be judged and baptized. Baptized now in this life by the Holy 
Spirit or at another time by the wrath of a burning hell.

Unrepentant people, like the chaff of wheat will burn, for chaff is 
the worthless outer shell of grain which is good and productive. 
The wheat is saved for it is the goodness and work of God. You 
brood of vipers, are you the chaff pretending to be the wheat? 

In this the New Year. quit saying you are when your actions don’t 
Match your talk. Start walking the talk, be humble: 

Matthew 3: 13-15.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, 
to be baptized by him. John would have prevented 
Jesus, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do 
you come to me?” But Jesus answered John, “Let it 
be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all 
righteousness.” Then John consented.

In our lives the ultimate test of our conscience may be our 
willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations 
whose words of thankfulness may never be heard. 

Matthew 3: 16-17

And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately 
from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened 
and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, 
and alighting on him; and lo a voice from heaven, 
saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well 
pleased.” 

He was born in a manger, slept on a feed trough, he was baptized 
not in clean water, but in the muddy dirty water of the Jordan. If 
Jesus was good enough to start life in humbleness and to be 
baptized in the muddy dirty water that represents human lives, 
then why can’t you and I be good enough?

Its time to take off the makeup and the good clothes and to get 
real. Get real and get out of the cleanliness of the box into the 
reality of life.

Go and serve in the darkness for you are not alone, the dove of 
God is right there. It’s all how you make the choice to look at it. 
John the Baptist was more than a name, for he matched his words 
with his life. 

Do you?

What if John the Baptist would have preached holiness but lived 
an unholy life? What if he would have preached the nastiness of 
gossip but had a gossipy tongue? What if he had preached about 
his changes through baptism but was underhanded with those he 
dealt with? 

There was a pastor who once invited a parishioner to go into 
Another town to preach. The two set out and walked up and down 
the streets in the city speaking with the people as they went. After 
a while they stopped to get something to drink. The parishioner 
reminded the pastor that we were coming here to preach and you 
have done everything else but preach. 

Calmly the pastor replied, what you don’t realize is that we have 
Been preaching the whole time we have been here. Many have 
seen us, our behaviors have been observed, people have seen and 
heard the sermon by our actions. People will know we are 
Christians not by our tongue but by the way we live and act. It is 
the life that earns the name, not the name that creates life.

To call ones self a child of God is easy. To be called a child of 
God by those who listen and observe you is another thing 
altogether. 

Let us pray,

Father, may we remember in our lives that Jesus’ baptism in the 
river Jordan showed his relating to our lives which are not 
always pretty clean blue water. May we as Christians go 
beyond ourselves, turning to you Father and seeking 
not the world but your help for direction in our 
lives. Father, in our daily lives may we set an 
example for others through not only our 
mouth but the actions that accompany 
who we really are. May we 
remember our lives are 
a sermon that others 
see and observe 
without us 
speaking 
a word. 
Amen


"Preach the gospel at all times. 
If necessary, use words". 
St. Francis


01/09/05 JWM



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