Episode 86: Let’s learn from a serpent

In the name of the glorious trinity, Father and

Son and Holy Spirit, forever amen. Glory

be to the everlasting mercies which sent you to

us, O Christ, the light of the world and the life of

all. Give us wisdom by your law and

enlighten our impulses by your knowledge. Sanctify

our souls by your truth and grant that we may be

obedient to your words and may fulfill your

commandments at every hour. O

you who enlightens the rational with the knowledge

of your greatness. Do enlighten, O my Lord, our

thoughts, that we may meditate upon your holy and

divine scriptures at all times, O Lord of all.

Father and Son and Holy Spirit,

forever. Amen. In the Gospel of our Lord

Jesus Christ, according to the preaching or the

proclamation of Saint Matthew chapter 10 verse

Matthew 10:16

16, Jesus instructs his disciples that they were to

be wise as serpents and pure as doves, but we'll

leave that for another episode. And

possibly making this a standard by which God

measures wisdom, their wisdom, our wisdom and the

wisdom of the world. Why? What qualities, what

characteristics has God, the serpents creator prepared it

with and instructs us to possess those same qualities

and characteristics by which we can better our

relationship with Him and others as far as wisdom is

concerned. Now we're going to be examining

the commentary and the writings of Marishudad, mid

eighth, eighth century bishop of Haditha, that is

a Palestine Arab village. His

writings and he writes of four qualities as also

stated by the blessed Theophilact, the Byzantine

Archbishop, commentator, 1055 AD. These

are the church fathers that we always refer to. So

he writes that a serpent or a snake possesses four

qualities or characteristics. The

first one is intriguing and I examine this, I Google

these and these according to what Google, Mr. or

Mrs. Google has provided are true that

are verified. When the skin of a serpent

oppresses it, so when the skin of a snake or a

serpent oppresses it, the skin of the serpent gets

old and its eyes are blinded, you'll be amazed

what he does, he doesn't eat. It

actually says for 40 days, Marishudad states that for

40 days it fasts, it abstains from food until

the body is relaxed and then what it does, it

seeks a cleft, a gap or a fissure, a slit. You've

seen it on documentaries and what is it, National

Geographic, it starts seeking a gap between two

rocks or thistles or branches and it seeks that

gap to be straight and narrow and it begins to

slide in, penetrating its body onto the cleft and it

casts off that old skin of its and it's made young

and acquires strength and health and then you see

the shedded skin of the serpent. But

what is Christ signifying here and what is he trying

to teach us by this simply put is that we too should

enter the narrow gate according to Matthew chapter

Matthew 7:13

7 verse 13. Now this is going to give it

another perspective of Matthew chapter 7 verse 13.

Matthew 7:13

We should strive, we should

force, we should challenge ourselves to go through the

narrow gate, the cleft and the fissure and that narrow

gate being no other than the gate of trials and

temptations and challenges in life be it personal,

Christian, marriage, work, relationship, finances, not

limiting to any trials and temptations that we go

through. So this is the reason then

why St. James writes in his letter

chapter 12 verse 12, Blessed is the man who

endures trials for when he has been tested he will

receive a crown of life which God has promised to

those who love him. So these are the gates, this

is the cleft, this is the fissure beloved, that oh

this is the narrow gate that we need to strive to

go through and that gate being the temptations and

the trials and the challenges of life. You

see God tests, not tempts but God tests us. Now

he may allow us to go through temptations and that

to reveal and expose our evil desires according to

verse 13 of St. James chapter 12. Let

no one when he is tempted say I am tempted by God

for God is not tempted with evils nor does he

tempt any man but he allows us to go through

those temptations. It's allowing us to go through

the narrow gate so that we can shed off that old man.

Now learning from the serpent

while trying to cast off the old man within us that

same aged, that same man that is aged in sin and

trying to strive to put on the new man renewed in the

knowledge and likeness of our Creator according to

Colossians chapter 3 verse 10 it is the same as the

Colossians 3:10

serpent and we must do that and we too sometimes

become very heavy, laden and burdened with the old

man that we carry because of temptations, trials, peer

pressure what have you. Now when we do want to enter

that narrow gate, now this is not to be taken lightly

because we're now wanting to go up against Satan.

I'm going to talk about that.

So when we do want to enter

that narrow gate which is trials and temptations and

we want to gladfully and joyfully and praisefully

receive God's allowance, God permitting us to go through

those temptations we also must do what the serpent

does is fast. And now it was what six weeks

ago that we ended our fast the great Lent. So

fast is not just because we need to do it Jesus

did it and the church is proclaiming it no no that

is the the process of shedding off the old man

which is being corrupted and aged in sin. So

we need to also abstain from food which is fast

because as I said we are attempting, we are preparing

to enter our wilderness, we are preparing to enter a

battle with Satan to take on Satan and his demons

and also our evil desires which are from Satan. We

are going up against the enemy which is Satan and

Christ warns us that this type of challenge, this

type of competition you want to call it trial,

this type of warfare can only be done and receive

victory and be victorious through prayer and fasting.

You know when his disciples

couldn't heal the demon possessed man and Jesus

rebukes the father because he didn't believe, oh

perverse generation how long am I going to be with you

in Matthew chapter 9? Then it is disciples who try to

Matthew 9 · chapter mention

enter that narrow gate by trying to heal the son's

demon and the father who brought his son to be

entered into the narrow gate by the apostles but

he didn't believe he was lacking in faith. Jesus

says and when they ask him why we couldn't do it why

did it not happen he said because of the unbelief but

this type Jesus said when you want to go against

Satan and his demons you need to do it through

prayer and fasting. Some of the versions of the

Bibles that are out there have done away with fasting

because they don't believe in fasting. Jesus

fasted we fast right? Yes Jesus said they don't need

to fast now because they said why aren't your

disciples fasting? He said why do they need to

fast? The bridegroom is still with

them I'm with them but when the bridegroom is

taken away they will fast and Jesus says in Matthew

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6 when you fast that means you fast so

don't do or woe to those. Woe

to the writer to the author who's taken away

from the word of God. We are another quality that

Marishu Dad writes and according to his writing is

that when a serpent goes to drink water or water,

Nia, Mai, Aqua, is that right Stephen? Aqua

yes when a serpent goes to drink water it actually

hides its fangs in the fang hole in the mouth.

Now you go and google that as

well you'll find that that is true. Now

this is when did I say let me let me let me go

back again and and Marishu Dad this is um eighth

century right in year 800 so 1200 years from now

Marishu Dad writes about how a serpent drinks water

scientifically he's correct and we find out that that

is true of course it would be true so it hides its

fangs in the fang so he doesn't produce the fangs

so too writes Marishu Dad those who believe in his

name when they are about to drink the water of

everlasting life which is the provisions of the grace

of the Holy Spirit when we want to have a relationship

with God when we want to please God when we want to

serve God in order to be replenished by the

everlasting water of grace which is Jesus Christ

himself please praise me to you Nia his name should

enter their fangs should I'm sorry should not enter

with their fangs that is to say fleshly lusts and

pollutions we cannot serve God beloved and be

corrupted we cannot have one leg in the world and

one leg in the church it it just doesn't work now

society and unfortunately some preachers some pastors

some churches may be preaching this but that is

blasphemy and there is heresy you cannot serve two

masters Jesus said we cannot come to God with

our evil desire and can't we I'm sorry we come to

God without even the evil desires and when do we

come to God with our evil desires is at the moment

when we want to repent from our evil desires not

to have a relationship with God and beg God to accept

me as I am I'm going to continue in this evil no

we need to put those fangs away put those evil lusts

and corruption and pollution away you cannot claim and

have a relationship with Jesus Christ just by

reading the scriptures and saying that I read the

scriptures I have a relationship with God but

you neglect those same scriptures are saying that

do not neglect your holy assemblies coming to church

being a part of church no you cannot claim to be a

Christian and not do what Christ did on earth and he

didn't need to do that he did it as an example for

you and I fasting praying you cannot claim that you

have a relationship with God through only the

scriptures but you don't have that intimate

relationship that can communion with God through

the holy scripture holy Eucharist we love it so we

have to come to God we come in our filthy state

but we come ready to fold those fangs we come with

to God to get rid of the pollution we cannot have a

relationship with God and we remain in lust beloved

St Paul writes in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 22 you

Ephesians 4:22

shall lay aside your former practices the old man that

is corrupted with the lusts of error beloved our first

cannot be watered or refreshed by the gracious

provisions of Christ if we who claim to believe in

his most holy precious majestic and dominant name

yet continue to carry our most dreadful corrupted and

lustful old self the third quality saint Marysh Udad

writes is that when a serpent this is very

interesting when a serpent sees a man who is naked

unarmed just person just walking by for example it

is afraid and flees from him but if he sees the

man clothed and dressed adventures that means he

becomes brave and daring and springs up upon him

what that is telling us beloved is that we ought

to put off the garments of culpable blamful shameful

passions desires and doubt that the devil our enemy

who hates us may not spring upon us you see the

enemy satan satan when he wants to attack tries to

find that target and satan is proud this is this is

the vocation of satan satan doesn't go around seeing

who is homeless and wants to help the person satan

and his enemies don't go around and seeing who is

brokenhearted and discouraged and sits by their side and

taps him on their back and says it's okay everything

will be all right no actually satan goes and

sits with these people and says why don't you end

your life that's the best thing for you to do right

now take your life it's constantly prowling saint

simon saint peter the rock in his first epistle

chapter five verse eight writes this be sober and

be guarded because satan your adversary like a lion

roars and goes about and seeks whom he may devour

devour saint paul writes in aphesians chapter six verse

16 take up the shield that is the confidence of faith

by which you will have power to crunch all the

fiery darts or arrows of the evil one so satan is

prowling wanting to to work out your weaknesses your

foolishness your doubt and he will start and your

evil desires our passions our lusts that's where he

starts shooting his flaming arrows always keep in mind

beloved that passions desires lusts weaknesses and

doubt are the bullseye the hundred mark of the target

at which satan our adversary our enemy our

opponent aims and releases all his flaming arrows of

temptations and enticements and you know what the

target is the target itself is our minds and our

hearts so let us not carry these doubts and evil

desires so that there is no place no reason no

opportunity for satan to pounce on us as does the

serpent and lastly the serpent marishudad writes

the serpent delivers all its body and to blows and

strokes but covers only its head that it may not be

beaten on the head being the sustainer of life in

the body the lord is teaching us beloved that we

also must bear all now bear not justify not

provoke not pray them upon ourselves but bear all

torments and ills which troubles and problems and

persecutions and sufferings as we spoke last episode

until death but we need to keep spotless the fear of

god which is the head of the life of earthly beings

writes marishudad so just as a reptile whose head is

crushed is not saved it dies portrayed beautifully

by mel Gibson our christian brother you know why mel's

being mel was attacked after the passion of the

christ you know why you know why hollywood came

after mel because that film was a life -changing film

changed many people's lives you know and hollywood

doesn't want that hollywood wants filth filth filth

that's what hollywood likes but we need to support our

brother mel Gibson who is a christian brother who is

now a god -loving god -fearing lord -loving

christian portrayed it beautifully in the garden

of gethsemane for those who've seen the film i'm

sure everyone's seen the film the passion of the

christ when he stands up after his agonizing prayer

in the garden of gethsemane he crushes the head of the

serpent so just as the head of the serpent if

crushed is not saved neither is a christian who

corrupts his right he's true his catholic with a

small c he's true meaning the orthodox faith that

faith that was passed down to faithful men according

to 2 timothy chapter 2 verse 2 by the apostles

2 Timothy 2:2

that faith which is the chief of all good things

so if you're asking what is true faith that i must

protect and i must nurture and i must stand firm in

and i must guard regardless if my body is being

pounded with persecution and even death but i must

protect the head which is the faith in our lord god

and his son our lord jesus christ what is that faith

well i want to invite invite you to join me in

proclaiming i say your name when i say i you say your

name i by the way hang on we need to stop washing

dishes stop vacuuming pull over to one side we're

going to now experience the true faith passed down by

the apostles to faithful men so it's still being

passed down it didn't end at the apostles as some

preach so when i say i you repeat your name i

believe in one god the father almighty maker of

all things visible and invisible and in one lord

jesus christ the only son of god the first one of

all creations who was begotten of his father

before all worlds are not made true god of true god

of one essence with his father by whose hands the

worlds were established and all things were created who

for us men and for our salvation came down from

heaven and was incarnate of the holy spirit and became

men and was conceived and born of the virgin mary

and suffered and was crucified in the days of

puncher's pilot and was buried and rose on the

third day as it is written and ascended into heaven

and sat at the right hand of his father and shall

come again to judge the dead and the living and i

believe in one holy spirit the spirit of truth who

proceeds from the father the life -giving spirit and

in one holy and a apostolic and catholic

universal church and i confess one baptism for the

forgiveness of sins and in the resurrection of our

bodies and in the life forever and ever amen

we hope you enjoyed this week's message please don't

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double -edged sword until next time god bless you

all