The Unauthorized Homily

By Bill Dunn

A commentary on the Scripture readings from the Sunday Lectionary

(Scripture readings for Sunday, December 9th: Isaiah 11:1-10; Roman 15:4-9;  Matthew 3:1-12)

HAVE WE BECOME A ‘BROOD OF VIPERS’?

In this week’s gospel reading, we see John the Baptist out in the wilderness preaching and baptizing people. Many people from the city came to hear him, and his basic message was: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

He also explained, “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”

We’re all fairly familiar with John the Baptist. His ministry is discussed in all four gospels. John was the forerunner of Jesus. His job was to set the stage for the Messiah. He was the one Isaiah prophesied about, “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”

A group of religious leaders, Pharisees and Sadducees, also went out to the wilderness to see John. Being the shy and reserved guy he was, John greeted them warmly: “YOU BROOD OF VIPERS!! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance!”

John knew they had come out not to repent and be baptized like all the other everyday folks, but they were there because they had heard that someone without “official” credentials was preaching about God. They were there to investigate John and then run back to Jerusalem and file a report. (Ugh! They were bureaucrats!)

Those religious leaders were very protective of their ecclesiastical monopoly. They didn’t want any competition. They had checked the records and discovered that John had not graduated from, nor been ordained by, Pharisee Bible College or Sadducee Seminary. Can’t have that, they exclaimed. This guy might siphon off some of our followers and lead people down the “wrong” path. He must be stopped.

At this point John made a tremendous statement to the Pharisees and Sadducees, one which was true for them and also is true for us today. He said, “Do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.”

The Pharisees and Sadducees were smug about their relationship with God. They were part of God’s “chosen people.” They had Abraham as their father in faith. They were certain that they were practicing the one, true religion, and therefore, everyone else was wrong and out of favor with God.

Because they took it for granted that God always smiled on them—and them alone—they despised anyone else who was a little different or not part of their select group.

We do the same thing today. We feel that because we were born into the [blank] denomination (fill in the blank: Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Congregational, Star Trek Worshipper, etc., etc., etc.), we are the only ones practicing the one, true religion and therefore, everyone else is wrong and out of favor with God.

In many instances we’ve become modern-day Pharisees and Sadducees. Because we take it for granted that God always smiles on us—and us alone—we build up a very real animosity toward those who are different or not a part of our select group.

We become so busy nitpicking the “errors” of others and explaining why they can’t possibly be in a right relationship with God, we end up forgetting that God wants us to be loving and merciful, and to produce the good fruit of repentance and faith.

John made it very clear to the Pharisees and Sadducees: “The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

They had become so obsessed with protecting and preserving their special religious monopoly—tracking down and stopping unlicensed preachers, among their duties—they had actually drifted away from God. Their religious system had become a hollow, man-made shell of its former self. They were worse than unbelievers; they had become hypocrites.

The same is true today.

Maybe we should spend a little less time focusing on why our particular group is so “special” and approved by God above all others, and a little more time focusing on the basic tenets of the faith (i.e. God is our creator; we are sinful; redemption comes through the death and resurrection of Jesus; we’re instructed to be filled with love and forgiveness, etc.).

After all, if being an offspring of Abraham did not impress John the Baptist 2,000 years ago, then being an offspring of [fill in the blank] denomination today probably is not too impressive either. It’s our heart and our faith and the love we display that matter most.

If we put our faith in God through Christ and love our fellow man with all our heart (yes, even the ones who don’t sit in the same building with us on Sunday mornings), then we’ll be heading in the right direction. Then we will never be accused by a messenger of God of being a “brood of vipers.”

©2007