Snakes in the grass are dangerous because those are the ones you don’t notice.
We had some snakes on our property when we lived in New Mexico.
We lived at the edge of town and desert nature was right outside our house. We had all kinds of creatures at one time or another: deer, raccoons, skunks, tarantulas, millipedes, centipedes, scorpions, and rattlesnakes. The snakes, thankfully, were out in the open (one on the driveway, two on the front steps). We could see them plainly and so they could be dealt with. This was much better than them hiding.
A snake in the grass is one you can’t easily see. I can’t help but use that analogy for a political battle going on today (literally). Today is the primary election for the democratic nomination for a Texas U.S. Senate seat. It’s been pretty high-profile. There was a recent public flap involving it concerning late night host Stephen Colbert.
Two candidates vying for the nomination are Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico. Both are down-the-line liberals, but their manner could not be more different. Crockett is profane, combative, outrageous and offensive. Talarico, on the other hand, is nice, calm and smooth.
While Crockett throws verbal bombs, at least you know what you’re getting. Talarico is like the nice boy next store. He looks like he belongs on a 1950’s TV show.
And yet Talarico is 1000 times more dangerous than Crockett.
Why? Instead of straightforward swearing and bombast, he talks about Jesus. But it is not the biblical Jesus, it is a fake Jesus, one made up to be the embodiment of liberal policies.
Talarico supports abortion and says that Jesus never spoke about abortion. But he neglects to mention that Jesus was pro-child. Jesus took children on his lap and said, “the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these,” (Matthew 19:14). Jesus warned of the harshest penalties to those that would harm a child (Matthew 18:6). Does Talarico expect us to believe that Jesus would condone abortion?
And about homosexuality…he said Jesus never talked about that either. But Jesus affirmed that God’s design for marriage was “male and female” (Matthew 19:4-5). Male and female–heterosexual marriage, not homosexual. How much clearer can Jesus be on the matter?
While Crockett is ‘what you see is what you get’, Talarico is like a snake in the grass. He pushes falsehoods under the benign banner of love. He said at a rally in Austin: “As I travel this state, I get the sense that across the political spectrum there is a deep hunger for a different kind of politics. Not a politics of hate, not a politics of fear, not a politics of division, but a politics of love—a love for this state, a love for this country and a love for all of our neighbors. A love that can heal what’s broken in America.” Smooth as butter.
At another meeting in San Marcos, he said, “I’m tired of being told to hate my neighbor…” Who is telling him to hate his neighbor? I’m about 25 years older than him, and I’ve never been told to hate my neighbor. Not once.
He seems so nice and he talks about love and Jesus! What could be wrong with that?!
Sometimes snakes in the grass come in the form of a church. One, called the Open Table Network, is a breakoff denomination (or a ‘new denominational tribe’) from the Church of the Nazarene. Co-founded by Jonathan Foster and Dana Hicks, it is pro-gay. Their statement of faith is big on love but lean on God’s sovereignty and holiness. They don’t believe God knows the future (omniscience). They mention Jesus, but not that his atonement on the cross is the means of forgiveness of sin. It looks like they are just making things up.
One of the biblical things they actually do allow for is God’s all-presence (omnipresence). But even here, it is not because of what the Bible says, but because one of the co-founders likes the idea. To quote co-founder Dana Hicks: “I’m happy to say that I’m still really excited about omnipresence.” Well, he’s excited about it. Now the doctrine is settled!
It might be fun to make up a church denomination. Just invent what you want with lots of talk about love, with occasional references to Jesus. Solicit contributions and you’re good to go.
It looks happy and shiny. It might even win some people over. I’ve heard the Open Table Network is now up to about 50 ordained ministers.
So smooth, so nice. But a snake in the grass.
What the Open Table Network is doing was predicted. Even before the New Testament was finished some were already peddling fake Christs (2 Corinthians 11:4) and fake gospels (Galatians 1:6-8). Jesus himself warned against false prophets (Matthew 7:15-16). Paul warned against wolves who would distort the truth (Acts 20:28-29).
Liberals today are hijacking Jesus hoping to promote progressive causes. Such distortion is nothing new. And it still goes on today, strong as ever.
Hidden snakes allow you to temporarily live in a kind of blissful ignorance because you don’t know they are there. But better to have them obvious and out in the open where you know what you’re dealing with. Let the enemies of truth show themselves! But they rarely will–the devil knows he can get more mileage out of smoothly presented distortions.
When we find a hidden snake let’s care enough, and love enough, to make sure others know about it.