John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 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.”
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In the movie, Trains Planes and Automobiles (rated R, but if you watch it on Pure Flix it will take out the two scenes that made it that way), with John Candy and Steve Martin, one of my favorite scenes is when John Candy is going the wrong way down the highway. People in another car try and warn him repeatedly he is going the wrong way. They beg him, to turn around, but he thinks they are drunk and says, “How would they know where I’m going?” And in an instant, he meets two semi-trucks head-on and barely escapes with his life. Or, imagine with me that you heard reports of a tsunami that was going to hit the West Coast of the US, around Cannon Beach, Oregon. You lived in Cannon Beach and were evacuating. And as you were leaving, you ran into family after family that were traveling to Cannon Beach for their annual vacation. What would you say to them? Would you politely and casually say, “I don’t think Cannon Beach would be the best choice for you to visit this time. Try another beach.” NO! You would warn them of the tsunami and plead with them to turn their vehicles around and evacuate with you.

John the Baptist is doing the same thing here. The Spirit of God has caused him to see the doom and destruction that the Jews are heading towards, based on their lives of sin. He calls them a brood of vipers. What do vipers do? They look innocent enough, lying in wait for their prey. They pretend to be slow and gentle, but — in an instant — they attack and swallow their victims whole. Later in Jesus’ ministry, he rebuked the Pharisees for living a lie: “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you. Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.’” (Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭39-42‬)‬‬

This is not a casual cautionary tale. It is a harsh rebuke, with every bit as much boldness and passion as one would have when warning people of a coming tsunami. There are two messages here for me: 1) Don’t be caught in the greed and wickedness of the world. I have heard people say “all is fair in business and war.” This is another way of saying that they will lie, cheat, and steal to get ahead. I saw a bumper sticker last week that said, “Less friends, more money”. At least this person was honest about the greed. I must reject the advance of greed and wickedness at every turn from having a place in my heart. 2) I am called to warn others boldly of the peril and doom of a life dedicated to sinful living. I must warn them, if I care about them. Where has my boldness and urgency gone for warning those lost in sin about the need to repent and for a Savior? Am I more worried about what they will think in the moment, than about saving their lives?

Lord, keep me from greed and wickedness and restore to my heart the boldness of John the Baptist and Jesus. Help me to plead with my family and friends to turn from their evil ways and follow you!