Brood of Vipers

Gospel of Matthew 3

About that time, John the Baptist first appeared, proclaiming in the wilderness of Judea: 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 This is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, when he says: ‘The voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness: Make ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’“

4 John wore clothing made of camels’ hair, with a belt of leather round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 At that time Jerusalem and all Judea, as well as the whole district of the Jordan, went out to him, 6 And were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 When, however, John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to receive his baptism, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who has prompted you to seek refuge from the coming judgment? 8 Let your life then prove your repentance; 9 And do not think that you can say among yourselves, ‘Abraham is our ancestor,’ for I tell you that out of these very stones God is able to raise descendants for Abraham!

10 Already the axe is lying at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that fails to bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I indeed baptize you with water to teach repentance; but He who is coming after me is more powerful than I, and I am not fit even to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 His winnowing–fan is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing–floor and store his grain in the barn, but the chaff he will burn with inextinguishable fire.”

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to see John and be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to prevent him. “It is I,” he said, “who need to be baptized by you; and yet you come to me?” 15 “Suffer it be so for the present,” Jesus answered, “since it is fitting for us thus to satisfy every claim of religion.” Upon hearing this, John consented.

16 After the baptism of Jesus, and just as he came up from the water, the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending, like a dove, and settled upon him, 17 And from the heavens there came a voice which said: “This is my beloved Son in whom I delight.”

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To read Chapter 4 of the Gospel of Matthew, please go to: I Will Make You Fishers of Men

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The Head of John the Baptist

Gospel of Matthew 14

At that time Prince Herod heard of the fame of Jesus, 2 And said to his attendants: “This must be John the Baptist; he must be risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are active in him.” 3 For Herod had arrested John, put him in chains, and shut him up in prison to please Herodias, the wife of Herod’s brother Philip. 4 For John had said to him: ‘You have no right to be living with her.’ 5 Yet, though Herod wanted to put him to death, he was afraid of the people, because they looked on John as a prophet.

6 But, when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before his guests, and so pleased Herod, 7 That he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Prompted by her mother, the girl said: ‘Give me here, on a dish, the head of John the Baptist.‘ 9 The king was distressed at this; yet, on account of his oath and of the guests at his table, he ordered it to be given her. 10 He sent and beheaded John in the prison; 11 And his head was brought on a dish and given to the girl, and she took it to her mother. 12 Then John’s disciples came, and took the body away, and buried it; and went and told Jesus.

13 When Jesus heard of it, he retired privately in a boat to a lonely spot. The people, however, heard of his going, and followed him in crowds from the towns on foot. 14 On getting out of the boat, Jesus saw a great crowd, and his heart was moved at the sight of them; and he cured all the sick among them. 15 In the evening the disciples came up to him, and said: “ This is a lonely spot, and the day is now far advanced; send the crowds away, that they may go to the villages, and buy themselves food.” 16 But Jesus said: “They need not go away, it is for you to give them something to eat.”

17 “We have nothing here,” they said, “except five loaves and two fishes.” 18 “Bring them here to me,” was his reply. 19 Jesus ordered the people to take their seats on the grass; and, taking the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and said the blessing, and, after he had broken the loaves, gave them to his disciples; and they gave them to the crowds. 20 Everyone had sufficient to eat, and they picked up enough of the broken pieces that were left to fill twelve baskets. 21 The men who ate were about five thousand in number, without counting women and children.

22 Immediately afterwards Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and cross over in advance of him, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 After dismissing the crowds, he went up the hill by himself to pray; and, when evening fell, he was there alone. 24 The boat was by this time some miles from shore, laboring in the waves, for the wind was against her.

25 Three hours after midnight, however, Jesus came towards the disciples, walking on the water. 26 But, when they saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they exclaimed, and cried out for fear. 27 But Jesus at once spoke to them. “Be of good cheer,” he said, “It is I; do not be afraid.”

28 “Master,” Peter exclaimed, “if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water.”:29 And Jesus said: “Come.” So Peter got down from the boat, and walked on the water, and went towards Jesus; 30 But, when he felt the wind, he was frightened, and, beginning to sink, cried out: “Master! Save me!” 31 Instantly Jesus stretched out his hand, and caught hold of him. “O ye of little faith!” he said, “Why did you falter?” 32 When they had got into the boat, the wind dropped. 33 But the men in the boat threw themselves on their faces before him, and said: “You are indeed God’s Son.”

34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. 35 But the people of that place, recognizing Jesus, sent out into the whole country around, and brought to him all who were ill, 36 Begging him merely to let them touch the tassel of his cloak; and all who touched were made perfectly whole.

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To read Chapter 19 of the Gospel of Matthew, please go to: Fish and Loaves

Gain fresh insight into the Lord’s Prayer. Read our free online book The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life. The prayer’s hidden teachings will enrich and inspire you. Click the following link to begin reading the Living Hour Book now: The Lord’s Prayer.

Browse the entire Gospel of Matthew here: Gospel of Matthew

Lord’s Prayer: And Forgive Us Our Trespasses

Chapter 8

And forgive us our trespasses…

(Removing Our Hindrances Part II)

We’ve just described our journey toward a life in Christ as a rising. But the act of “rising” (such as rising above petty arguments and concerns) can sometimes get us into trouble, especially we Christians. The reason is that when we rise toward our divinity, we often look down on others with a misguided sense of superiority.¹ Jesus condones none of that. He knocks us off our pedestals by insisting that we wash the feet of others if we are to have any part of him.²

To keep us grounded Jesus also teaches that our rebirth in Christ is owed to both spirit and water.³ This lesson is one that’s largely been forgotten. Most Christians today see water simply as an accoutrement to the ritual of baptism, forgetting that the performance of rituals was something that Jesus only grudgingly accepted—for he knew how often they become codified into new forms of idolatry.

We can see such idolatry in the way the Pharisees rigidly held to their laws of the Sabbath.⁴ When it came to baptism, Jesus saw it as something which needed to be done for the sake of the community, rather than for himself—telling John the Baptist they must suffer the task so as to “satisfy every claim of religion.”⁵ In other words, Jesus allowed himself to be baptized to fulfill the religious expectations of Israel, so that their minds would remain open to receiving the gospel of Christ.

That the heavens are said to have literally opened up during Jesus’s baptism, with the Holy Spirit descending on his head like a dove,⁶ does not mean that we are magically turned into Christians during this ritual. Instead, these metaphors are used to illustrate water’s essential role in our spiritual transformation.

To understand why Jesus says that our rebirth in Christ is owed to water, we must look at water as a parable, or character in a story. Water’s narrative is that it likes to follow the path of least resistance. Likewise, the Holy Spirit seeks the path of least resistance as we remove the hindrances⁷ that block Christ from entering our lives.

Throughout Christendom this teaching has been driven under ground by a litany of ignoble wars, fire and brimstone preachers, and overzealous missionaries. But no person has ever been led to Christ through violence, threats, or intimidation, only by experiencing the Holy Spirit as it flows effortlessly from the souls of others.

How easily we forget Jesus’s admonition to turn the other cheek; to not resist wrongs; to give our possessions to those who want to sue us; and walk two miles with those who compel us to go but one.⁸ In other words, to pass through this life like water.

Rather than accept the path of least resistance, we often strike out on the course of greatest resistance, confusing the lesser path with one of weakness. What we fail to recognize (but what Jesus was well aware of) is that water has another defining characteristic. It has the dammed up potential to flow forward with great force, when its hindrances are pulled away, forever altering the landscape below the break. Likewise, the Holy Spirit has tremendous power to transform lives, to create a holy current that will carry along others and make us true “fishers of men,” As Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew—casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 “Come and follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 The two men left their nets at once and followed him.⁹ if we but remove the obstacles in its path.

When we pray “forgive us our trespasses” we are beginning…

The Lord’s Prayer. To continue reading, click on page 2 at the bottom.

1. Speaking to people who were satisfied that they were religious, and who regarded everyone else with scorn, Jesus told this parable. – Luke 18:9 [↩]
2. If I, then—‘the Master’ and ‘the Teacher’—have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet; 15 For I have given you an example, so that you may do just as I have done to you. – John 13:14-15 [↩]
3. “In truth I tell you,” answered Jesus, “unless you owe your birth to water and spirit, you cannot enter the kingdom of God. – John 3:5 [↩]
4. Jesus walked through the corn-fields one Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and began to pick some ears of wheat and eat them. 2 But, when the Pharisees saw this, they said: “Look! your disciples are doing what it is not allowable to do on a Sabbath!” 3 “Have not you read,” replied Jesus, “what David did, when he and his companions were hungry. 4 How he went into the house of God, and how they ate the consecrated bread, though it was not allowable for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests? 5 And have not you read in the law that, on the Sabbath, the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and yet are not guilty? 6 Here, however, I tell you, there is something greater than the temple! 7 And had you learned the meaning of the words: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned those who are not guilty. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Matthew 12:1–8 [↩]
5. Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to see John and be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to prevent him. “It is I,” he said, “who need to be baptized by you; and yet you come to me?” 15 “Suffer it be so for the present,” Jesus answered, “since it is fitting for us thus to satisfy every claim of religion.” – Mark 3:1315 [↩]
6. Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens rent apart, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him. – Mark 1:9-10 [↩]
7. Blessed are those who find no hindrance in me. – Luke 7:23 [↩]
8. I, however, say to you that you must not resist wrongs; but, if others should strike you on the right cheek, turn the other to them also; 40 And, when people want to go to law with you to take your coat, let them have your cloak as well; 41 And, if anyone compels you to go one mile, go two miles with them. – Matthew 5:39–41 [↩]
9. Matthew 4:18-20 [↩]

The Gospel of the Kingdom

Gospel of Mark 1

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 It is said in the prophet Isaiah: ‘Behold! I send my messenger before thy face; He shall prepare thy way.’ 3 ‘The voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness: “Make ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’ 4 And in fulfillment of this, John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism upon repentance, for the forgiveness of sins.

5 The whole of Judea, as well as all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, went out to him; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 John was clad in clothing of camels’ hair, with a belt of leather round his waist, and lived on locusts and wild honey; 7 And he proclaimed: “There is coming after me one more powerful than I, and I am not fit even to stoop down and unfasten his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

9 Now about that time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens rent apart, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him, 11 And from the heavens came a voice: “Thou art my Son, the Beloved; in thee I delight.” 12 Immediately afterwards the Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness; 13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and among the wild beasts, while the angels ministered to him.

14 After John had been committed to prison, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom of God: 15 “The time has come, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe the gospel.” 16 As Jesus was going along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the sea, for they were fishermen.

17 “Come and follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 They left their nets at once, and followed him. 19 Going on a little further, he saw James, Zebediah’s son, and his brother John, who also were in their boat mending the nets. 20 Jesus at once called them, and they left their father Zebediah in the boat with the crew, and went after him. 21 And they walked into Capernaum.

On the next Sabbath, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught them like one who had authority, and not like the teachers of the law. 23 Now there was in their synagogue at the time a man under the power of a foul spirit, who called out: 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God!” 25 But Jesus rebuked the spirit: “Be silent! Come out from him.” 26 The foul spirit threw the man into a fit, and with a loud cry came out from him.

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To continue reading Chapter 1 of the Gospel of Mark, please click on page 2 below.

A Lonely Place

Gospel of Mark 6

On leaving that place, Jesus, followed by his disciples, went to his own part of the country. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue; and the people, as they listened, were deeply impressed. “Where did he get this?” they said, “and what is this wisdom that has been given him? and these miracles which he is doing? 3 Is not he the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? And are not his sisters, too, living here among us?” This proved a hindrance to their believing in him; 4 On which Jesus said: “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own relations, and in his own home.”

5 And he could not work any miracle there, beyond placing his hands upon a few infirm persons, and curing them; 6 And he wondered at the want of faith shown by the people. Jesus went round the villages, one after another, teaching. 7 He called the twelve to him, and began to send them out as his messengers, two and two, and gave them authority over foul spirits. 8 He instructed them to take nothing but a staff for the journey—not even bread, or a bag, or pence in their purse; 9 But they were to wear sandals, and not to put on a second coat.

10 “Whenever you go to stay at a house,” he said, “remain there till you leave that place; 11 And if a place does not welcome you, or listen to you, as you go out of it shake off the dust that is on the soles of your feet, as a protest against them.” 12 So they set out, and proclaimed the need of repentance. 13 They drove out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were infirm, and cured them.

14 Now King Herod heard of Jesus; for his name had become well known. People were saying: “John the Baptist must have risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are active in him.” 15 Others again said: “He is Elijah,” and others: “He is a prophet, like one of the great prophets.”

16 But when Herod heard of him, he said: “The man whom I beheaded, John, he must be risen!” 17 For Herod himself had sent and arrested John, and put him in prison, in chains, to please Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because Herod had married her. 18 For John had said to Herod: ‘You have no right to be living with your brother’s wife.’

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To continue reading Chapter 6 of the Gospel of Mark, including Jesus and a lonely place, please click on page 2 below.