Don't Be a Snake

 “You snakes! You brood of vipers!” (Matthew 23:33)

I’m not a fan of snakes. Especially snakes that are within 10 feet of me. I really don’t like those snakes.

“But that’s a good snake,” some will say.

No. It’s not. It’s a snake. It can’t be good.

I do have to admit, though, if I am far enough away and I have the zoom lens on my camera, I like to take pictures of snakes. To be clear, I like the pictures, not the snakes.

About 10 days ago Carol and I decided to take a hike in a local county park. We had hiked in the park before. It has nice trails, and it’s perfect for when we don’t have time to drive a long distance to get to a place to hike. Except on this particular day. Because there was a snake. Not just any snake, but a copperhead. The poisonous kind. 

We were walking along, and I was looking for birds and flowers to photograph, and suddenly Carol stopped me in my tracks. Literally three feet away was this copperhead on the trail. I jumped back – probably about 25 feet – and I said a bad word. Or two. Snakes make me do that.

We let the copperhead finish crossing the trail, and just to be safe we walked about 100 feet around it to pass it. My Fitbit registered a heart rate of about 200 beats per minute that day.

Did I mention that I am not a fan of snakes?

I’m not alone in this. Jesus evidently did not have a high opinion of snakes. Why else would he call the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees “snakes” and “brood of vipers”?

"You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?"

Jesus, Matthew 23:33 

Just a few days before he was to be crucified, Jesus sealed his fate by leveling curse after curse at the “teachers of the law and Pharisees.” Jesus called them out for their hypocrisy. They make entry into the kingdom of heaven impossible by imposing all sorts of rules and regulations. They split hairs with the Old Testament law in order to manipulate it to their advantage while oppressing others. They put on good appearances to hide the greed and self-indulgence in their hearts. They pretend to be righteous in order to cover up their own wickedness. 

It’s in the twenty-third chapter of Matthew. You should read that chapter every once in a while. It’s not pretty.

For years, I would read the words of Jesus directed at the Pharisees, and in my heart I would say, “You tell them, Jesus! Preach it! I sure hope so-and-so can hear what you’re saying.” I would puff up in my own self-righteousness and say to myself, “I’m sure glad I’m not like those hypocrites.”

But at some point I began to read those passages differently. As I heard Jesus crying out against the ones who claimed to have it all together, every once in a while I could have sworn that I heard him call my name. Because if I’m honest with myself, I have a bit of Pharisee in me. I suspect we all do.

Yeah, you too.

And so instead of smiling smugly as Jesus lets the hypocrites have it, I now approach these particular verses with a more prayerful attitude. I use these verses to examine the hypocrisy in my own heart, and the ways that I try to hide my own shortcomings while focusing on the shortcomings of others. These verses remind me that I, too, build up walls and barriers that make it impossible for some to enter the kingdom. These verses show me how I manipulate the rules to ensure that I am among the “in” group.

These verses remind me that I don’t want to be this way, and that Jesus doesn’t want me to be this way.

You see, I don’t like snakes, and I don’t want someone to call me a snake. Especially, I don’t want Jesus to call me a snake.

Part of the purpose of the season of Lent is for us to examine our hearts and remember why it is that we need a Savior. That means engaging in a good bit of humility and honesty about our own unrighteousness. It’s hard work, but worth it.

So next time you read about Jesus saying some harsh words to religious people, listen closely, because you might just hear him mention your name.