September 16: Being Anti-Venom

“…and poisoned their minds against the brothers.” Act 14:2b

I am risking pulling this text REALLY out of context. I’m not just focusing on one verse but on half a verse. (If you have ever wondered about why you might occasionally see an “a” or “b” in a biblical citation it means that the first half or second half of the verse is being referenced. A great tool for those of us who only like half of what the Bible says!)

I want to focus on this particular piece of the verse however because in keeping with our last devotion I think it points out something about the nature of those who follow in the way of Christ. Disciples and apostles are absolutely filled to the brim with anti-venom. That’s right… the waters of baptism, the wine and juice of the table, the spirit of God is anti-venom in our blood and it just won’t allow us to get poisoned…

Okay so don’t go try and get bitten by any snakes to disprove me – I’d rather not have to make a whole rash of hospital visits over the next few days!! Clearly I don’t actually mean to think “good Christians” (whatever that is) are immune to poison (that particular passage in Mark just isn’t in “my” canon: “they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them.” Mark 16:18). What I do mean to say is that in this text those that heard and put trust in the good news of Christ, those who followed in the way of Christ, are those who didn’t allow their minds to get poisoned “against the brothers”.

I think this is a very important message today because I think we live in an age rampant with poison. Our minds are poisoned daily.

Politics poisons us… “against the brothers.”
Religion poisons us… “against the brothers.”
Competition in sports, marketplace poisons us…
“against the brothers.”
Institutional pride and nationalism poisons us…
“against the brothers.”
Classicism, racism, sexism poisons us…
“against the brothers (and sisters!!).”
Cliques, gossip and whose in and whose out mentality poisons us…
“against the brothers.”

Jesus is inoculation against poison.
Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners.
Jesus lifted up Centurions and Samaritans as role models.
Jesus died for all. Jesus rose for all.
Jesus frees us from being poisoned… “against the brothers.”

And here the brothers is no longer simply Paul and Barnabas but all our brothers and sisters and the people around us who we would like to think are not part of “our” community.

Following in the way of Jesus means allowing yourself to be inoculated against such poisons. And I think this may be one of the hardest things we can do because we have to give up A LOT to do that. We have to give up the right to stand at the water cooler and get snarky about “those other people”. We have to give up the right to carry on to hurts and vengeance and self-righteousness. We have to give up the rage and frustration and drive and need that fuels us to be first… and to be right, because it is a poison that is anathema to the heart of Christ who reminds us that the first shall be last and the last shall be first.

We have to give up so much… and then we have to actually practice “turning the other cheek” and living in service to the “other” – washing the feet of our neighbor… even when our neighbor’s action don’t warrant it, because the whole idea of “warrant” and “worth” are wrapped up in poison.

“Do you want to be made well?”
Jesus asks this in the John 5.
Jesus wants to rid us of our poisons.

Jesus invites us to be live a life freed from poisons… and freeing others from them as well. Jesus requires us not to poison or be poisoned… “against the brothers” - whomever they may be.

What poisons are you carrying around with you?
Do you want to be made well?
How are you helping others to let the poisons go?

Inoculating God,
Help us to want to be healed. Give us the strength to let go of the poisons that destroy us but also define us in ways we find sadly comforting. Healing us, help us to go forth into your world helping to free others from their poisons as you have freed us from ours.
Amen.