Matthew 23:33 "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?"
You gotta like Jesus. In Matthew 23 he goes off on the Pharisees and religious leaders. He calls them names like hypocrites and snakes and threatens them with hell! He holds nothing back and let's them have it. He calls them on their hypocrisy and false teaching. For a moment the Birkenstock wearing, hippie Jesus takes a back seat to Mark Driscoll's UFC, kick yo @!# Jesus.
As much fun as it is to see Jesus this way, his words are meant for me as well. I am a "religious leader." I teach people the ways of God. These words of Jesus haunt me as much as they entertain me. Am I a hypocrite? Am I a blind guide? Do I wash the outside of my cup but on the inside am I full of dirt and filth? I have to daily assess myself, my motives, and my actions and completely rely on Jesus to lead me. I pray I never hear Jesus speak to me this way.
Dear Jesus, help me follow you closely and never end up a snake. Amen.
