Therefore, Yochanan said to the crowds who came out to be immersed by him, “You snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming punishment?
Lines like this shock and amuse me. I laughed out loud reading this today. I would not want to talk like this to a fellow believer, but this sort of sentiment is here for a reason. It comes from a place of holiness and it would be rash to dismiss the gruffness of it. Where is the balance between compassion, forgiveness and severity towards yourself? Sometimes we need a rude awakening to get back to the right path. This harshness falls in line with Messiah saying to pluck out the sinful eye and cut off the sinful hand for the sake of saving your soul. Better to have a bruised ego and win eternal life and probably a more abundant life in the here an now, as well.
Walking In Liberty 