We don’t hear many “Brood of Vipers” sermons in the Lutheran
church. It’s not that we don’t all need and even welcome a stern word now and
then it’s just that Lutherans draw the line at being called poisonous reptiles.
We’re happy to sing “Chief of Sinners Though I Be” and confess that we are by
nature sinful and unclean but call us snakes and we might hiss at you. But with
or without the snake reference this may be more of a true word for us than we’d
care to admit. While we don’t presume to be children of Abraham we bet on being
children of grace and bearing fruits worthy of repentance is more often a
postscript than a priority. Like those who came out to be chastised and
challenged by John the end of our confession must be “What then should we do?” Of
course the question, as important and as necessary as it is, follows God’s
answer for Christians of the Lutheran flavor. God’s forgiveness does not depend
on our doing; our doing depends on God’s forgiving. True repentance anticipates
absolution and in the freedom of forgiveness one cleans out the closet and
gives away the extra coat. The good news of John’s exhortation is the end of our
comfortable relationship with dishonest ways and vain striving after wealth and
power. All of this is made possible by the powerful One who follows, the only
anti-venom for a brood of vipers.
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