You Serpents, You Brood of Vipers

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You Serpents,  You Brood of Vipers

So,  what is love?      Does a loving parent  allow their child  to run out into the midst of busy traffic  because they don’t want to raise their voice  and hurt their child’s feelings?      No.      A loving parent  rushes out  and grabs the child back to safety  — – totally disregarding  the child’s kicking and screams  for wanting to get a ball.      The child may have gotten roughed up a bit  in the episode  and feel that the parent  is being mean,  “causing”  him to lose his ball  —  but  that does not matter.      Real love took place  in saving the child’s life.      Forget about the ball.      Balls are replaceable.      But,  the child may remain defiant  because he wanted  “that”  ball  —  not some other ball.

So,  what is love,  as life goes on?

Jesus showed great love and compassion  as He roughed up the scribes and Pharisees  in all of Matthew, chapter 23.      He hurt their feelings  and they held a grudge against Him  for doing so.      Those scribes and Pharisees  were headed for hell,  with all their man-made laws and traditions,  that contradicted  God’s loving laws  and ordinances.      But,  they refused to see it that way.      They liked showing authority  over the people  by making up rules to burden them  and proudly looking like  they were knowledgeable,  righteous,  and better than the ordinary people.

But,  Jesus called them hypocrites straight to their faces  because He still loved them  and wanted to save them  from eternal damnation.      Jesus showed them their hypocrisy  by contrasting God’s word  with their man-made rules.      That should have opened their eyes and hearts,  but their pride  led them to hate Jesus  for preaching the truth  in front of all the people.      Their reputation as righteous teachers  of the law was ruined  —  all because of Jesus.      Instead of being sorry  for their waywardness,  their hatred and pride  eventually led them  to have Jesus crucified.

Jesus knew  their kind of hatred and pride  would continue against anyone who preached God’s truths.      So,  Jesus firmly prophesied  about how their refusal to repent  would lead them to sin even more  and be eternally judged.      In Matthew 23:33-37  Jesus says,

You serpents,  you brood of vipers,  how shall you escape  the sentence of hell?

Therefore,  behold,  I am sending you prophets  and wise men  and scribes;  some of them you will kill and crucify,  and some of them  you will scourge in your synagogues,  and persecute from city to city,  that upon you  may fall the guilt  of all the righteous blood shed on earth,  from the blood of righteous Abel  to the blood of Zechariah,  the son of Berechiah,  whom you murdered  between the temple and the altar.

Truly I say to you,  all these things  shall come upon this generation.      O Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  who kills the prophets  and stones those  who are sent to her!      How often  I wanted to gather your children together,  the way a hen  gathers her chicks  under her wings,  and you were unwilling.

When people allow their self-righteous pride  to make them do evil things  against God’s children,  they will be held accountable  for their actions.      What Jesus said here  was a loving rebuke  to save them from sinning even more.      The apostle Paul came to realize that.      In the beginning,  Paul persecuted Christians,  but then  he realized God’s love and truths  and became a strong  and true  Christian.      Paul learned from Jesus’  rebuke.

We all need to constantly learn  from God’s loving warnings.      God disciplines us  in love  —  a real love.

Knowing that God’s judgments  are sure to come,  we say,  “Hallelujah!      Lord,  You can open our eyes,  ears,  hearts,  and minds  as You did for Paul.      Mercifully show us  Your truths  that we may be saved eternally.      Blessed be Your love.”

Love,
Margaret

 

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A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and God of gods

 

Pray for our country.

 

This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

 

The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield  to all  who take refuge  in Him.
Psalm 18:30

 

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming  to the upright.
Psalm 33:1

 

How blessed are those  who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee.
Psalm 84:4

 

Just as a father has compassion  on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13

 

Oh give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 107:1

 

Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Psalm 105:3

 

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that
I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12

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