This exclamation from John the Baptist, “You brood of vipers!” has always made me want to burst out laughing. I always at least smile when I read or hear the words.
The words are directed to the formal religious leaders of the time who, like many religious leaders in all time periods, think they have all the answers and feel secure in their own righteousness as “children of Abraham.” John the Baptist insults them (“vipers!”) and compares them to trees that bear bad fruit and to the chaff left over from the winnowing of wheat.
While I chuckle and instinctively think of folks I believe should hear this message in our day, I know the real message is meant for me. What in me needs to wake up and repent of unwholesome thoughts, words, and deeds? How can I become a tree that bears good fruit in this world? It’s never too late to begin again.
Holistic Yoga & Spiritual Guidance 