They Shall Pick Up Snakes

At the end of Mark's gospel there is a section in chapter 16, verse nine to the end of the chapter, which brings up a few things that are somewhat new to scripture and which are disputed because some earlier manuscripts do not contain this section. Most of what appears in this section is found in other Gospels. But there is one area in verses 15 through 18 that can easily be misunderstood. Mark 16:17, 18. Jesus is speaking, "And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." Looking for signs of Jesus presence or activity or approval is nothing new today. The church leaders who followed Jesus around in the first century often asked for miraculous signs from him. Today, we can get over anxious to have signs from God that affirm us. In our zeal to be seen as followers of Jesus, we can recklessly force God's hand (so to speak) to vindicate us with a miraculous sign. I am speaking only of the part about handling snakes and drinking poison. How shall we relate to these things? Is this to prove our faith and demonstrate we are true followers? Are we trying to force God's hand? And what then is the conclusion if we die from the snake or the poison? Does that mean we had imperfect faith? Does that mean we are not a follower of Jesus? Can someone in their desire to see signs from heaven, do something which ends their life within 24 hours, not as a result of persecution, but what looks to the world as a reckless disregard of danger. But what is testified by the church is that they were following Jesus. I have no desire to sit in judgment upon someone else's faith. We are all pilgrims in this world; none of us has complete knowledge. We must join together as seekers and followers of Jesus, not emphasizing our differences which can only divide us but encouraging one another in our common faith. But as a pastor and theologian I am afraid of taking a fundamental position on Scripture that would lead one to be that reckless. Is it possible to survive a poisonous snake bite or ingest some poison while on a missionary journey? Of course. The apostle Paul, after being shipwrecked on Malta, was building a fire (Acts 28:3-6), and while gathering brush was bitten by a viper. He then shook it into the fire. He suffered no ill affects. God protected him from the snake’s bite. That is quite a different scene that if Paul had gone looking for poisonous viper's and handled them, let them crawl all over his body, allowing them to bite him to demonstrate his faith. That would strike of presumption to me. Once again, I have no desire to sit in judgment upon someone's faith. But to use the word of God as a way to prove you are a follower, which sets you apart from others, can be reckless and result in a very sad end. This seems to do nothing to spread God’s love and gospel. In a Charlotte Observer story, June 23, 2012, Randy Wolford handled a timber rattle snake while preaching at the Apostolic House of the Lord Jesus Christ. He tempted the snake to bite him, and it did. Refusing any medical treatment, Randy died that night; leaving his wife and four children without a father. I'm sorry, this served no gospel purpose, and in my mind is an example of the worst in Christian fundamentalism. What kind of example did Randy leave for his family? When we discover that Randy's father suffered the same fate years ago, we wonder if this is some rite of passage. I only hope that Randy's four children do not follow in his footsteps. For I wonder how the gospel of Jesus Christ is spread and affirmed through this practice. Maybe the opposite is happening.