Q: In Matthew 3:7, John the Baptist called an entire generation a generation of vipers. Jesus uses the same term when describing some religious teachers in Matthew 12:34. Isnt this sort of language rather uncharitable?
A: First, John was not referring to an entire generation or race of people; his comment was directed specifically at the group of Pharisees and Sadducees which had come to see what he was doing ~ He said *to them,* O generation of vipers.
How could John convey to the Pharisees and Sadducees that just about everything they thought they knew about their relationship with God was wrong? First he had to get their attention and do what he could to get them to realize that they had a problem; ergo the firm rebuke. He couldve just ignored them, but he didnt.
Like a good fire-fighter, he let them know that an emergency situation exists within him. It would be uncharitable for a fire-fighter to politely enshroud the truth, and allow people to remain asleep, instead of sounding an alarm and rudely surprise them with the news that their house is on fire. If their house is on fire, they need to be told! And something like that is going on in this scene in Matthew 3. Sometimes fire-fighters have to wake people up. This was one of those times.
Were the Pharisees and Sadducees literally vipers? No, not literally. But their sinful nature -- like the nature of any human being who has strayed from God and not been regenerated -- was no more pleasant to God than the nature of a snake is attractive to people. (Generally speaking. There are some folks who have cobras for pets.) Johns statement wasn't tactful, but it was truthful.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
A: First, John was not referring to an entire generation or race of people; his comment was directed specifically at the group of Pharisees and Sadducees which had come to see what he was doing ~ He said *to them,* O generation of vipers.
How could John convey to the Pharisees and Sadducees that just about everything they thought they knew about their relationship with God was wrong? First he had to get their attention and do what he could to get them to realize that they had a problem; ergo the firm rebuke. He couldve just ignored them, but he didnt.
Like a good fire-fighter, he let them know that an emergency situation exists within him. It would be uncharitable for a fire-fighter to politely enshroud the truth, and allow people to remain asleep, instead of sounding an alarm and rudely surprise them with the news that their house is on fire. If their house is on fire, they need to be told! And something like that is going on in this scene in Matthew 3. Sometimes fire-fighters have to wake people up. This was one of those times.
Were the Pharisees and Sadducees literally vipers? No, not literally. But their sinful nature -- like the nature of any human being who has strayed from God and not been regenerated -- was no more pleasant to God than the nature of a snake is attractive to people. (Generally speaking. There are some folks who have cobras for pets.) Johns statement wasn't tactful, but it was truthful.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
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